by Kevin Lockhart, Director, Buildings – Pembina Institute

Bill 98 could raise energy costs and weaken local economic outcomes

Once again, Ontario has introduced legislation aimed at weakening municipal development standards. Bill 98 is the latest attempt to curtail the authority of municipalities to set requirements for new developments that reflect the needs of the community and deliver social and economic benefits. Framed as a way to make housing construction “more predictable and consistent,” the bill would significantly limit local authority.

At a time when Ontario’s residential construction sector is already under strain, this approach does little to address the real barriers to getting homes built. Among those many barriers include easing planning and zoning rules to allow more midrise and multiplex housing, and removing policies that push development toward sprawl, including boundary expansions, new suburban highways and outdated zoning. Instead, it introduces yet more policy uncertainty while increasing long-term risks for households, communities, and the broader economy. By undermining proven municipal standards and ignoring the clear provincial pathway provided by the tiers introduced in the 2020 model building codes, the province is missing an opportunity to deliver both more housing and better housing.

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