The government of Ontario has introduced sweeping new legislation aimed at speeding up housing construction that will cut fees for affordable and rental projects and spur “gentle density” by allowing three units on any residential lot across the province.

But Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, could not say how many more units the changes would contribute to the province’s goal of getting 1.5 million new homes built over the next 10 years – a goal at current growth rates that Ontario’s own projections show it will fall well short of hitting.

The package of legislative changes unveiled on Tuesday sets new housing targets for the province’s 29 largest and fastest growing municipalities but with no penalties set for failing to meet them. Toronto’s target is 285,000 new homes over the next decade.

Affordable housing, rental housing and non-profit housing would see reductions, exemptions or freezes on the development charges and parkland charges they are normally expected to pay municipalities to cover the costs of new infrastructure needed to keep up with growth. Mr. Clark said he hoped to look at whether federal housing money could be used to fill the hole this would create in municipal finances, while noting municipalities, including Toronto, have billions in development charge and park fund reserves.

The bill also includes other measures the government expects to generate blowback. Among them is a provision that would bar “third parties” who are not the developer or the municipality involved, such as residents or environmental groups, from challenging a project before the province’s land tribunal.

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