In a recent post to members, the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) calls on the government to work in partnership with the rental housing industry to help stimulate investment in affordable housing.
Asking that immediate steps be taken to remove current barriers, FRPO’s list of “no-cost, low-cost policy solutions” are designed with the purpose of getting Ontario building affordable housing again.
On April 14, the Ontario government launched consultations to support a renewed Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy. During the consultation with Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, FRPO provided the government with evidence-based research and best practices in a comprehensive policy paper entitled, “Removing Barriers to Private Sector Construction of New Rental Housing Supply.”
Government actions recommended by FRPO include:
- Introducing Affordable Rental Housing Agreements to create up to 90,000 new homes;
- Reducing costly development charges on new construction of multi-family apartment buildings;
- Preserving the 1991 rent-increase exemption to stimulate private sector investment in Ontario’s aging rental stock;
- Improving transparency of Section 37 agreements during the approvals stage for new purpose-built residential construction;
- Making changes to municipal property tax policies for multi-residential properties;
- Eliminating expensive municipal licensing schemes of rental housing units; and,
- Making rental housing more affordable for low-income Ontarians through a portable housing allowance initiative.
Read the complete comprehensive policy paper here: “Removing Barriers to Private Sector Construction of New Rental Housing Supply”
