City works on new housing action plan to bring 120K homes in 10 years to Mississauga

Mississauga | Community | News | Politics |

By

Published January 20, 2023 at 3:17 pm

home construction

Mississauga is working on a new housing action plan to bring 120,000 homes over 10 years.

The new plan comes in response to Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives’ call to increase housing across Ontario. In October, the province introduced the More Homes Built Faster act and gave Mississauga a goal to build 120,000 new homes in 10 years.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and other mayors raised concerns over plans to eliminate and freeze some developer fees to municipalities, which will force them to raise property taxes to pay for infrastructure that supports new housing.

Premier Doug Ford addressed those concerns at a meeting in Mississauga, stating the province will support municipalities that have a shortfall.

To meet the “ambitious goals” to build more housing, Mississauga council passed  a resolution to create a new housing action plan on Wednesday (Jan. 18). The plan will help cut red tape.

Mississauga already had a plan in place to meet the province’s 2051 growth targets and construction is currently at a 30-year high with the city issuing building permits for nearly 6,500 new homes in 2022, a record number.

But the motion passed on Wednesday will have staff provide a report on the progress made to this point and help chart a path forward to achieve the province’s targets over the next 10 years, said Crombie.

The plan will focus on:

  • Accommodating additional growth and density in planned developments across the city, including in and around major transit station areas
  • Studying the conversion of employment lands in support of new mixed-use residential communities, as recently identified by Regional Council Protecting existing and building more market and affordable rental, as well as rent-to-own models
  • Ensuring the right mix of housing stock, including mandating family-sized units in new condo builds
  • Working with post-secondary institutions to increase the availability of student housing
  • Making it easier for residents/builders to create additional dwelling units on a lot
  • Enhancing and expanding the Region of Peel’s My Home Second Unit Renovation Program and the Peel Affordable Rental Incentives Program
  • Explore a “Housing Affordability Committee” to help the city implement this plan once finalized. This committee should include representation from the construction, trades and development communities.

There are some concerns around the rapid increase in developments. Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko suggested caution around “character” neighbourhoods such as the Port Credit Heritage District and the Meadowvale Village Heritage Conservation District.

“You want to make sure that you’ve got some great character because that adds value to actually where people are and that sense of community as well,” Dasko said.

City council asked staff to report back to the general committee on Feb. 22 with a new “Housing Action Plan” for the 2022-2026 term of council.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising