York Region councillors grilled the development sector on progressing building permits but found common ground on the need for purpose-built rental.

Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) GTA president and chief executive officer David Wilkes urged the region’s housing task force Sept. 7 to work with the development industry toward addressing housing affordability. He said the task force should focus on the speed of permit-ready approvals, not get too lost in the details of developments and review land-use policies as barriers to entry.

But as municipal governments face scrutiny over their regulations, Mayor John Taylor said there should be a discussion about incentivizing developers to speed up and get building once they get zoning and site plan approvals.

“Isn’t it fair, and isn’t it time, that if municipalities are being held to a standard and being given penalties, that we do the same for the building industry?” Taylor asked.

Municipalities have taken umbrage with the province reducing development charges that help pay for infrastructure. Taylor has also expressed concern with the provincial emphasis on municipalities taking action to get more built, while noting developments can often sit idle due to developer decisions. Taylor suggested working on a tool to incentivize or require developers to build faster post-approval.

Keep reading on newmarkettoday.ca

• 
•