To make progress towards solving the housing crisis we need to build more homes at prices that Canadians can afford, faster. To do this we need to end restrictive zoning and speed up permitting, and add greater density, especially near transit and post-secondary institutions. The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) will cut this red tape and fast-track at least 112,000 new homes by 2028, which cities and regions estimate will lead to the creation of over 750,000 new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada over the next decade.
The Town of Carleton Place is pleased to announce that they reached an agreement with the Government of Canada to accelerate the construction of 168 homes over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of 934 homes over the next decade. This agreement under the second round of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), will provide over $5.6 million to eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster.
Carleton Place’s Action Plan commits to seven (7) local initiatives:
- Comprehensive Fees Review to streamline, reduce overall cost of growth, and encourage affordable and missing middle housing
- Ending Exclusionary Zoning and implement Municipality wide Four Units As-of-Right Zoning
- Cloud Based Planning Application Software
- Adopt a Community Planning Permit By-law to Streamline Approvals Process
- Intensification through the Franktown Road Secondary Plan
- Residential Integration in Highway District Lands to expand as-of-right permissions along key corridors
- Partnering with Private and Non-Profit Housing Providers
“On behalf of Council and the community, we are grateful to the Federal Government for providing this critical funding,” says Mayor Toby Randell. “This will greatly assist in supporting the Town’s long-term sustainability and quality of life by planning for growth that serves the housing needs in the community.”
“Our government is committed to removing barriers and cutting red tape to enable housing development, and these partnerships with Ontario communities like with the The Town of Carleton Place will do just that.”— The Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
HAF has outlined permitted uses for the funding including investments in community-related infrastructure that supports housing, investments in housing-related infrastructure and investments in affordable housing. Council will decide at a future date where to focus the remaining balance of the funding over and above the funding required to complete the seven (7) action items identified above.