Plans to increase affordable housing in Sudbury
Housing affordability continues to be a big issue across Ontario, including here in the north. And it was one of the things on the agenda of a special summit recently held involving the province's big-city mayors.
From single-family dwellings to apartments, everyone involved agrees what it comes down to is Ontario needs more places for people to live.
The province's housing minister, Steve Clark, said there is a need for over one million units in the province right now
Steve Clark, Ontario Municipal Affairs and housing minister
"We need the missing middle. We need that purpose-built rental. Yes, we need single family (homes) as well, but we also need that mixture of homes that really reflects local communities," Clark said.
The province is spending $45 million to help municipalities "modernize" and accelerate the process for approving housing applications.
"We know that the approvals process are often stalled by cumbersome, and cause unnecessary, red tape to each level of government. These obstacles to building more homes faster were repeated in our conversations today," Clark said.
Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger participated in the event and said while each municipality has its own set of challenges, he believes the Nickel City is doing ok.
He said his focus remains on a wide spectrum of affordable housing.
"We have 14 one-bedroom units that are being created at Sparks Street. It’s a seniors' housing project, obviously, it would be affordable. We’re also converting 30 two-bedroom units into one-bedroom units and that hopes to also address some of the challenges for homelessness," Bigger said.
He said Sudbury has proven it is supporting housing growth, investment and development in the region.
"We have no development charges on affordable housing that has agreements with the city. We’ve got development charges on major corridors and many areas for multi-unit residential buildings across the city and so we’ve taken a lot of progressive steps already that many other municipalities are considering."
Clark said the housing crisis can't be fixed overnight but meetings among municipal leaders are useful.
A similar event will take place Sunday, however, it will be a round table involving rural, remote and northern communities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'