Bill 37 explained in plain English
Planning Amendment Act (Enabling Municipalities to Require Inclusionary Housing), 2013
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This bill enables Ontario municipalities to require that a percentage of new housing developments include affordable housing units for low and moderate-income households.
Bill 37, the Planning Amendment Act (Enabling Municipalities to Require Inclusionary Housing), 2013, would allow municipalities to require that a certain percentage of new housing developments include affordable housing units. This means that local governments could pass by-laws to ensure that a specified portion of homes in new developments of 20 or more units are affordable for low and moderate-income households. The bill also clarifies the definition of 'affordable' housing and provides the Lieutenant Governor in Council the power to make regulations concerning the specifics of these affordable units. The changes would take effect six months after the bill receives Royal Assent.
- Amends the Planning Act to allow municipalities to require inclusionary housing.
- Defines 'affordable' housing in relation to the Provincial Policy Statement.
- Allows municipalities to pass by-laws requiring a specified percentage of housing units in new developments (20 or more units) to be affordable.
- Permits municipalities to specify the percentage of affordable units required.
- Enables municipalities to enter into agreements with developers regarding affordable housing requirements.
- Allows for the registration of these agreements against the land.
- Grants the Lieutenant Governor in Council the authority to make regulations on various aspects of inclusionary housing, such as the number of bedrooms, size, timing, location, design standards, eligibility, and alternative methods like fees in lieu or land provision.
- Amends Section 51 of the Planning Act to allow the approval authority to impose inclusionary housing as a condition of subdivision plan approval.
- Specifies that a by-law requiring inclusionary housing can only be enacted if an official plan with related provisions is in effect.
- States that the existence of such a by-law does not obligate the municipality to provide financial assistance or incentives to developers.
- Municipal councils and local municipalities
- Developers of new housing developments
- Low and moderate income households
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council
- Approval authorities for subdivision plans
- Subsequent owners of land subject to inclusionary housing agreements.
- Municipalities gain the power to require inclusionary housing through by-laws.
- Developers may be required to include a specified percentage of affordable housing units in developments of 20 or more units.
- Municipalities may require developers to enter into agreements regarding affordable housing requirements.
- Agreements can be registered against land and enforced against subsequent owners.
- The requirement for inclusionary housing by-laws is conditional on having an official plan with relevant provisions.
- The Act comes into force six months after receiving Royal Assent.
- The bill states that the existence of an inclusionary housing by-law does not require the municipality to provide financial assistance or incentives to developers.
- Regulations may include provisions for 'fees in lieu' of providing affordable housing units.
- Agreements registered against land can be enforced by the municipality against the developer and subsequent owners.
- The specific percentage of housing units that must be affordable is to be specified by municipal by-laws.
- The definition of 'affordable' is linked to the Provincial Policy Statement, the details of which are not included in this bill text.
- The bill does not compel municipalities to provide financial assistance or incentives to developers for inclusionary housing.
- The implementation of inclusionary housing by-laws is contingent on the existence of an official plan with relevant provisions.
This bill amends the Planning Act to enable municipalities to implement inclusionary housing policies.
Source: The entire Act is referenced as being amended, with specific sections modified.
Adds a definition for the term 'affordable' which refers to the definition in the Provincial Policy Statement.
Source: Section 1
Adds a provision allowing councils of local municipalities to pass zoning by-laws that require inclusionary housing. This includes mandating a specified percentage of housing units in new developments (with 20 or more units) to be affordable.
Source: Section 2
Establishes that the council of a local municipality may, through a by-law passed under section 34, require a specified percentage of housing units in new developments (of 20 or more units) to be affordable and specify that percentage. It also sets conditions, such as the existence of an official plan with inclusionary housing provisions, and clarifies that this by-law does not obligate the municipality to provide incentives to developers. It also allows for agreements with developers regarding affordable housing requirements.
Source: Section 3
Allows the approval authority to impose, as a condition for approving a plan of subdivision, a requirement that a specified percentage of housing units in new housing developments (containing 20 or more units) must be affordable.
Source: Section 4
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
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Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced