Housing in Guelph 2025 Report 2026-74, dated March 10, 2026 be received.

2:36:10It is a presentation that's gonna be done

2:36:13and then we can chat if we need to, of course.

2:36:16The report in front of us,

2:36:17it's the annual report for 2025.

2:36:20It's called Housing and Guelph.

2:36:22And so our staff have put together a presentation

2:36:28that is actually really important.

2:36:33Let's all make sure, me included,

2:36:35that we're really paying attention to this

2:36:36because there's been a lot of great work

2:36:41and to have it compiled in one report like this

2:36:44for not only us, but for the community

2:36:46is very, very important.

2:36:48And right off the top,

2:36:50I just wanna say on behalf of council,

2:36:52thank you to staff for all the work you do

2:36:54throughout the entire year when it comes to housing,

2:36:58but to be able to see it come together

2:37:00in sort of one presentation in one report

2:37:02is a good reminder.

2:37:04It's also a good presentation to be able to share

2:37:07with the public and also to correct a lot of misinformation

2:37:10that is sometimes out there too.

2:37:13And so this is a nice way of being able to amplify this

2:37:16in the public realm so that any disinformation

2:37:19or misinformation is tackled in this manner.

2:37:22So I really appreciate staff doing that

2:37:25and I'll turn it over to our CAO, Tara,

2:37:27to kind of kick us off.

2:37:30Great, yes, and thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of council.

2:37:33I am just gonna take a very small part

2:37:36of the presentation today to kick things off.

2:37:38We are very pleased to be here before you

2:37:41to share the recent housing ready accomplishments,

2:37:44key housing projects underway and highlight next steps

2:37:48in our journey as a partner

2:37:49in getting more homes built here in Guelph.

2:37:52This report is a function of our commitment

2:37:54to report twice annually on our housing progress.

2:37:58In 2025, the city made significant progress

2:38:01in advancing housing readiness

2:38:04and major initiatives continue through 2026.

2:38:09Progress on housing within our community

2:38:11goes well beyond the measures of housing units.

2:38:14Housing considerations have become a central force

2:38:17shaping many aspects of our work,

2:38:20driving operational priorities,

2:38:22long-term strategic planning, civic dialogue,

2:38:26budget investments, advocacy,

2:38:28and council decision-making.

2:38:31In our most recent edition

2:38:32of the Housing and Guelph Annual Report,

2:38:34we've now aligned our progress

2:38:36with the Ontario Big City Mayors or OBCMs,

2:38:39efforts to share the story and data

2:38:41of the work undertaken to advance housing

2:38:44by municipalities across the province

2:38:46in a consistent framework.

2:38:48So as described by OBCM,

2:38:51cities and municipalities play a vital role

2:38:54in meeting housing demand

2:38:55and building sustainable communities.

2:38:58Cities are working with regional governments

2:39:00and housing service managers

2:39:01to expand infrastructure and support affordable housing

2:39:04through five key strategies.

2:39:06Unlocking land for housing, enabling greater density,

2:39:10reducing barriers for developers and property owners,

2:39:13streamlining reviews and approvals,

2:39:15and supporting affordable and non-market housing.

2:39:18We're proud to be here before you today

2:39:21with this revised presentation

2:39:24and to share significant progress

2:39:26within each of these five areas.

2:39:28So with that, I'll hand it over to DCAO Gaiman.

2:39:39Thank you, CAO Baker,

2:39:40and good morning, Mayor Guthrie and council.

2:39:43Over this four-year term of council,

2:39:45through your approval and direction,

2:39:47staff have achieved many significant milestones

2:39:50as shown on the roadmap.

2:39:52To summarize these milestones,

2:39:53collectively contribute to things

2:39:55like a robust policy framework,

2:39:58data-driven growth plans and budget investments

2:40:00for critical infrastructure,

2:40:02short and long-term strategies and action plans,

2:40:06successful grant applications,

2:40:08process improvements and innovations,

2:40:11and we have advanced key developments

2:40:13that support more housing in the community.

2:40:16More than 120 housing-related staff reports

2:40:20have been before you for deliberation

2:40:22over this term of council.

2:40:23In 2025 alone, there were 34 housing-related reports.

2:40:29We're proud of the work that the city is leading,

2:40:31supporting and influencing,

2:40:33and to help address the housing crisis,

2:40:35sustain growth, strengthen investment readiness,

2:40:39and enhance wealth's overall livability.

2:40:42In our time together today,

2:40:43we're gonna focus on what we accomplished in 2025

2:40:47and the work that is underway this year.

2:40:49As you can see in the roadmap,

2:40:51as we look forward to the future of this year and beyond,

2:40:54our progress and momentum continue to build.

2:40:59Now, I will give you a heads up.

2:41:00The presentation is lengthy,

2:41:02maybe a bit longer than we normally would bring to you,

2:41:05but for good reason.

2:41:06There's a lot of good information

2:41:08that we need to highlight and recap in

2:41:10and to the mayor's point, get the information out.

2:41:13And so please bear with us.

2:41:14We appreciate your focus

2:41:16as we get through this presentation today.

2:41:18We are going to cover in this presentation

2:41:23the status of the housing units and data insights over time,

2:41:27a summary of the work we advanced in 2025

2:41:30and what we are working on now,

2:41:32the focus of our advocacy efforts,

2:41:35updates on grant funding,

2:41:37some of the challenges we will continue to face

2:41:40and highlights from our communications

2:41:42and engagement efforts.

2:41:44There are many takeaways here,

2:41:45so I'd like to be deliberate in pointing

2:41:47three of them out for you.

2:41:48Guelph's housing ready progress is evident.

2:41:52We see this in the increasing housing units identified

2:41:54through development applications in 2025,

2:41:57compared to 2024.

2:41:59Although building permit numbers were lower in 2025,

2:42:02the total number of housing units increased.

2:42:06That's an early indication

2:42:07that the city's strategic efforts are helping offset

2:42:11external pressures such as slower population growth

2:42:13and economic uncertainty.

2:42:15Despite challenges, Guelph remains on track

2:42:17to meet its long-term population forecast,

2:42:20continues to adapt to new economic realities

2:42:23and is well positioned for growth and investment.

2:42:26With that, I'm going to now invite Crystal Wachey,

2:42:28our chief planner and general manager

2:42:30of planning and building services up to the podium.

2:42:35Thank you, Mr. Gaiman.

2:42:37So as you will see on this first slide,

2:42:40that this is our housing pipeline.

2:42:43We have a number of units and we're showing 2024

2:42:47on the top in the dark blue and 2025 in green on the bottom,

2:42:51and that's going to continue for the next couple of slides.

2:42:54So our housing development applications

2:42:56are definitely trending positively,

2:42:57which demonstrates Guelph's housing readiness.

2:43:00At the pre-submission stage,

2:43:01the number of housing units for development applications

2:43:04was 4,903.

2:43:06This is nearly double those from 2024.

2:43:10There were 1,743 housing units approved

2:43:13in development applications last year,

2:43:15which is a 14% increase compared to 2024.

2:43:21When we moved to the site plan stage,

2:43:24again, the same formula for 2024 on top,

2:43:30we saw a 60% lower in the pre-submission stage.

2:43:35However, those that moved to formal were substantially higher.

2:43:38So we've done the early work early on

2:43:41and now they've moved into the formal application

2:43:44and we definitely saw more formal applications

2:43:46approved last year,

2:43:48and we are already halfway to that number

2:43:51so far this year in 2026.

2:43:54So site plan is moving along quickly now.

2:43:58As Mr. Gaiman indicated, our building permits though

2:44:00are still lower reflecting the market

2:44:05and the uncertainty that is around the housing realm

2:44:08and potential GST rebates and a bunch of other items.

2:44:11The highest number of permits

2:44:13were four additional dwelling units at 239.

2:44:16And it's worth noting as was indicated

2:44:18that our housing number, these are our permits,

2:44:21but the province counts housing starts,

2:44:24which is a different metric

2:44:27and is somewhat complicated and often difficult

2:44:29to calculate, but last year we did receive

2:44:33the Build Better Faster Fund

2:44:34because of the number of housing units that did occur.

2:44:39Consents, and this is worth noting

2:44:41what we wanted to share with council

2:44:43is it shares an important role in housing and wealth.

2:44:48In 2025, the committee approved 78 new residential lots

2:44:52in increase of 46 compared to 2024,

2:44:57but the 78 new lots represents 237 units

2:45:03that were brought forward.

2:45:04And that is a direct result of the three unit

2:45:08as a right policies that were implemented by this council.

2:45:12So our application volume

2:45:14at committee of adjustment is quite high.

2:45:18We have a 36% increase year over year

2:45:22and our volumes again this year are very, very high.

2:45:26So the committee of adjustment is a mechanism

2:45:28to support infill housing, intensification,

2:45:31additional residential units

2:45:34and conversion and expansion of existing dwellings.

2:45:39So unlocking land for housing.

2:45:42As CAO Baker indicated in the introduction,

2:45:45the city is advancing five key strategies

2:45:47to meet housing demand and build sustainable communities.

2:45:51One such strategy is unlocking land for housing

2:45:54by advancing critical water, wastewater, transportation

2:45:57and transit infrastructure upgrades

2:46:00to remove servicing constraints and create new homes.

2:46:04We're also generating more development sites

2:46:06through the strategic disposal of unused city land.

2:46:13Looking back over the past year,

2:46:15here are some examples

2:46:16and how we delivered on this strategy.

2:46:18We sold at fair American value half an acre

2:46:22of unused city owned land to our private developer

2:46:25to build a future residential development with 57 units.

2:46:28We continue to advance housing readiness

2:46:30through several environmental assessments

2:46:32for downtown, clear Maltby

2:46:34and the Guelph Innovation District.

2:46:36We substantially completed $13.5 million

2:46:40worth of linear construction, 2.5

2:46:42which was funded through development charges.

2:46:45And this resulted in the construction

2:46:46of 6.2 meters of road, 0.3 kilometers of water main,

2:46:510.3 kilometers of sanitary and 0.3 kilometers of storm

2:46:54because they're typically built together

2:46:56and one kilometer of cycling tracks or multi-use pass.

2:47:00We also started construction on projects in 2025

2:47:03that we'll be completing this year.

2:47:05And a notable highlight is the $2 million

2:47:08Street Sewer Up-Size Project on Wellington Street

2:47:11which unlocked housing and development

2:47:14and you had one of those housing applications

2:47:15before you earlier this morning

2:47:18which is a direct result of that Wellington Street

2:47:21construction that occurred last year.

2:47:24So the city is also now available

2:47:25to offer financial agreement opportunities

2:47:29for key infrastructure to remove servicing constraints

2:47:31and unlock capacity for new homes

2:47:34through the launch of what we call

2:47:35the municipal financing servicing and financing agreements

2:47:38but that's also known as the front end agreement

2:47:40that was put forward.

2:47:43So we found ways to increase budget certainty,

2:47:47speed up timelines for developers

2:47:49and we also made investments to improve

2:47:51our transit system and service which is needed for housing.

2:47:59Here's what you can expect this year.

2:48:02In the downtown, obviously the Windham Street

2:48:05reconstruction starts at the end of this month.

2:48:09And the Macdonnell Street, Macdonnell Bridge,

2:48:12Allen Dam structure and the downtown pedestrian bridge

2:48:16detailed designs are starting this spring.

2:48:20In the Claremont B secondary plan area,

2:48:23we have two environmental assessments underway.

2:48:26The Gordon St. Clair Road and Laird Road site

2:48:31as well as the Street A collector

2:48:33which runs parallel to that north-south

2:48:36and that will unlock servicing capacity

2:48:38for 27,000 residents.

2:48:41And both projects have open houses planned for this spring

2:48:44and there are web pages on those projects.

2:48:47For the Guelph Innovation District

2:48:48which we also talked about earlier,

2:48:51last summer the Victoria Road, Stone Road

2:48:53and McQuillen's Bridge municipal class EA started

2:48:57and the study team is looking for options on that

2:49:00which we will be bringing forward.

2:49:02We also have improvements to Stone Road

2:49:04which are planned for detailed design in 2030

2:49:07and construction in 2031.

2:49:10Other growth infrastructure, York Road Phase Four.

2:49:14I know we've had lots of talks about York Road

2:49:16but its construction continues in 2026.

2:49:19Exhibition Park, neighborhood area Phase One

2:49:23starts this year and the Hamlin Sanitary

2:49:26and Water Main Crossing detailed trunk design

2:49:29starts this year as well.

2:49:31University Avenue West construction starts later this year

2:49:35and we also note 87,000 new transit service areas

2:49:39will be added between 2026 and 2031

2:49:42subject to our annual budget process.

2:49:49Our second strategy is that we're enabling greater density

2:49:52through new policies and programs

2:49:54that make it easier and more affordable to build housing

2:49:56while keep growth aligned with our community priorities.

2:50:01In December, you'll recall Council approved an amendment

2:50:04to our ADU grant program as part of the

2:50:07Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan

2:50:10which have unlocked additional potential,

2:50:12increased funding and eligibility amounts.

2:50:16The grant program so far has incented 15 affordable units

2:50:20all under the homeowner stream.

2:50:24Another key highlight of the CIP is the $320,000

2:50:31which was awarded to Wyndham House

2:50:33through the Cities Affordable Housing CIP

2:50:35Vacant Unit Renewal Grant.

2:50:38And this was for 10 youth spaces on Waterloo Avenue.

2:50:43And with the new support of housing development,

2:50:45this puts Guelph on track to become the first

2:50:47mid-sized city in Canada to end chronic youth homelessness.

2:50:53Last April, we approved the Official Plan Memant 106

2:50:58that allows taller buildings in the downtown

2:51:00secondary plan area to meet our population

2:51:03and employment growth to 2051.

2:51:06We are also bringing forward the downtown

2:51:08Community Planning Permit System next month

2:51:11for Council's decision.

2:51:18The CPPS will be brought forward next month.

2:51:22And then with that, we'll also be bringing later this year

2:51:24the accompanying built form standards

2:51:27to talk about height and have a city-wide standard

2:51:31on what that looks like so we can increase the clarity

2:51:34and certainty for developers for what we're looking

2:51:36on housing as it comes forward.

2:51:39Grant funding is still available through the city's

2:51:42Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan

2:51:45and staff are continuing to work with interested parties

2:51:48in the affordable housing development space

2:51:50and encourage other housing nonprofits,

2:51:52builders and residents to apply.

2:51:55And we continue on our outreach

2:51:57and communication for that program.

2:52:03Our third strategy is what we're calling reducing barriers

2:52:06for developers and property owners

2:52:08by improving processes, shortening timelines,

2:52:10increasing flexibility in land uses

2:52:12and creating clear, more predictable development pathways.

2:52:17Last year, our building services team

2:52:19enhanced their services to better support

2:52:21the segment of customers calling

2:52:23for Building Permit Applications Assistant

2:52:25and for assistance remotely.

2:52:27Through the use of an app, customers can now share

2:52:29their screen with staff and together walk through each step

2:52:32in the application process from the comfort of their home.

2:52:36We also undertook a lean yellow belt

2:52:39continuous improvement project to increase the number

2:52:41of complete additional dwelling unit permit applications.

2:52:45Through their hard work of staff,

2:52:46they reduced incomplete ADU permits by 33%

2:52:51and allowed ADU permits to come in much easier

2:52:54and quicker for the applicants.

2:52:58Last April, this council approved the Stoneman-Edenborough Road

2:53:02Community Planning Permit System.

2:53:04So we're trying to bring a bunch of processes together,

2:53:07site plan, official plan amendment, zoning,

2:53:10minor variants all into one 45 day process.

2:53:13And as we talk, we do have two applications

2:53:15that are in the pre-console stage and stage in that area.

2:53:18So that's great news and the program is exciting

2:53:21for both those applicants.

2:53:25Planning has also started our multi-phased official plan

2:53:28amendment updates, phase one,

2:53:30which was presented to council in February,

2:53:33included provincial changes to the Planning Act,

2:53:36the Ontario Heritage Act,

2:53:37and the new Provincial Planning Statement.

2:53:40And phase two is underway,

2:53:41which is to be presented to council for approval in 2027.

2:53:46And it focuses on employment, transportation,

2:53:48and will include an interim employment land strategy

2:53:52because of changes to the definition by the province.

2:53:56As was approved last month,

2:53:57WEALTH will apply additional rigor

2:54:00in tracking our servicing allocation

2:54:02to proactively manage the city's unallocated water

2:54:06and wastewater servicing capacity.

2:54:13Last week, staff brought forward to council the DC updates

2:54:17that outlined regulatory changes and a call to action

2:54:20on other levels of government to help fund the gap.

2:54:24And last month, we also approved the citywide terms

2:54:27of reference for the parking study.

2:54:30Bill 185 enables municipalities to impose lapsing provisions

2:54:35on site plans and draft plans

2:54:36if a building permit is not issued

2:54:38within a prescribed period of time.

2:54:40We have been doing this for plans of subdivision

2:54:43as it was previously approved,

2:54:45but we are going to be doing it for site plans as well

2:54:48to encourage developers to move quickly through the process.

2:54:51And that is coming forward to council next month.

2:54:57Our fourth strategy is that we're streamlining reviews

2:55:00and approvals by digitizing our processes,

2:55:03improving transparency, and strengthening collaboration,

2:55:06resulting in faster, more efficient housing delivery.

2:55:12As part of our half action plan initiative number two,

2:55:15we committed to a series of milestones

2:55:17that will support and streamline development

2:55:19and the construction of new housing.

2:55:21To realize this, the planning services team

2:55:24and the IT department hired an outside consultant

2:55:28to review our work, to review our process workflows.

2:55:31And we worked together to complete a broad review

2:55:33of our development processes,

2:55:36I think for the third time since I've been here,

2:55:39but the results is a roadmap

2:55:41for making better use of our technology

2:55:43and expanding our digital services

2:55:44in a streamlined development review process.

2:55:48So the city's planning and IT teams are working together

2:55:51on how we can use our existing technologies

2:55:54as they relate to development processes.

2:55:56And this will be completed in Q2, 2026

2:56:00with the primary focus on customer needs,

2:56:03allowing for a IT solution versus a paper solution

2:56:10where applicants can track their progress

2:56:13in the development approval process.

2:56:15They can pay their fees online

2:56:17and everything can move to a digital system

2:56:20from the paper process we currently have.

2:56:22So again, we're trying to make it easier

2:56:23and quicker for developers to work within the city.

2:56:29Through our city's development advisor,

2:56:32we are proactively engaging the development community

2:56:35and identifying pain points.

2:56:38And the development advisor is working on those pain points

2:56:41to improve the processes

2:56:43and identify those key relationships

2:56:45with our interest holders.

2:56:51The other thing to note is last year

2:56:52in the planning department,

2:56:53we reorganized our structure

2:56:55and created a dedicated site plan team

2:56:58to get to that last mile, to get that last step

2:57:01to ensure that developers can move quickly

2:57:03from a early site plan process to a building permit,

2:57:06which would get shovels in the ground quicker.

2:57:08And we are seeing through that site plan stage

2:57:10that that is working.

2:57:19So in Q2, council will be receiving also recommendations

2:57:24for the value for money audit

2:57:27of the building permit process and inspections.

2:57:29And that was part of the council's audit plan.

2:57:32So again, we're continuing to look at our processes

2:57:34and see how we can do things better.

2:57:36And if there's any areas, gaps that can be found.

2:57:39So with that, now I will turn it over to Kushler Matthews,

2:57:43the city's manager of community and affordable housing.

2:57:46Great, thank you very much, Ms. Wauke.

2:57:58So our fifth and final strategy will come as no surprise.

2:58:03We're expanding affordable and non-market housing options

2:58:06through the implementation

2:58:07of the housing affordability strategy.

2:58:12So to recap for 2025,

2:58:15the housing affordability strategy was adopted

2:58:18by council in December of 2024.

2:58:20And we have the first year of implementation

2:58:22under our belts.

2:58:24Staff have been making strides

2:58:26in the first year of implementation,

2:58:28including the Stone Edinburgh Road

2:58:30Community Planning Permit System implementation, or CPPS,

2:58:34fulfilling action 1.1.2

2:58:36and allowing for that additional density

2:58:39and affordable housing through a more streamlined process.

2:58:42And as Krista mentioned or Ms. Wauke mentioned,

2:58:45to date we have met with developers

2:58:46at the pre-consultation stage.

2:58:48And specifically for Stone Edinburgh,

2:58:50there is a project with the possibility

2:58:52of 275 units total, some of which will be affordable.

2:58:57Last March, the affordable housing community improvement plan

2:59:00was approved by council in sending 17 units

2:59:02at the time of writing this report

2:59:05and completing action 1.1.5.

2:59:08Council direction was also provided in November 2025

2:59:12to begin work on the vacant home tax,

2:59:15the rental renovation bylaw,

2:59:16and the rental replacement bylaw.

2:59:18And that supports the advancement

2:59:20of action 2.1.1.

2:59:23Staff are also evaluating the city's role

2:59:25in building affordable housing, which is action 1.1.3,

2:59:30and are advancing this work on two city-owned sites

2:59:32at Five Normandy and Seven Eastview Road.

2:59:37Work is also underway on an affordable housing land strategy,

2:59:40adding to action 1.2.1.

2:59:44And Guelph's affordable housing seed funding program

2:59:47was also launched in 2025, completing action 3.3.1.

2:59:52So the seed funding program is funded annually

2:59:55through the Affordable Housing Reserve.

2:59:58And last year, the full program allocation of $100,000

3:00:03was committed to four organizations.

3:00:05And this money is expected to support the potential

3:00:08for at least 43 affordable units.

3:00:11And the four recipients of the seed funding program

3:00:15are Threshold Home and Supports for 14 Edinburgh Road,

3:00:18Kindle Communities for 10 Shelldale,

3:00:21Upbuilding Nonprofit Homes at 65th

3:00:24and Hardcourt Memorial United Church on Deedon Avenue.

3:00:28The 2026 allocation of $100,000 is also currently available.

3:00:36So as mentioned, work is underway on drafting

3:00:38a vacant home tax, the rental renovation bylaw,

3:00:41and the rental replacement bylaw.

3:00:44Have your pay page, have your say page,

3:00:49has been up since mid-February,

3:00:52providing our community with information

3:00:54on the purpose of this work and the summary of the direction

3:00:58that has been provided by council.

3:01:01In addition, a survey on the vacant home tax

3:01:04just closed yesterday and we'll be reviewing the responses

3:01:08as we continue to meet our Q2 deadline

3:01:10for returning to council with drafts of this work.

3:01:15Other light engagement touchpoints on the have your say page

3:01:18will be shared towards the end of this month

3:01:21on the renovation and rental replacement bylaw pieces.

3:01:26As mentioned, we're also very keen to take the lead

3:01:29on building some affordable rental units on city owned land.

3:01:33And an RFP is now posted on the city's bids and tenders page

3:01:37that will be up until April 16th,

3:01:40seeking a proponent to construct the 12 units

3:01:43on both the sites using CMHC's housing catalog

3:01:47forplex design.

3:01:49City staff are also exploring the potential

3:01:52to co-locate the new paramedic station at 218 Speedvale

3:01:58with potential future affordable housing.

3:02:00More information will be shared with council

3:02:03at a future date following further analysis.

3:02:07Two requests for proposals are also being prepared

3:02:09for the separate housing affordability strategy actions,

3:02:13the first of which is for that action 1.1.3

3:02:17to evaluate the city's role in getting more affordable

3:02:20housing built and really looking into the long-term

3:02:22financial and legal implications of that.

3:02:26So this work will build on affordable housing delivery models

3:02:31that were identified in a council report in 2025,

3:02:34council report 2025 461.

3:02:38And it will also provide the city with a framework

3:02:40for evaluating how it should participate

3:02:43in the delivery of affordable housing

3:02:45based on varying development contexts.

3:02:48It will also help us understand

3:02:49and provide a financial strategy for the city

3:02:52to understand the required investment

3:02:55needed to meet the targets identified

3:02:58in the housing affordability strategy.

3:03:00And its associated impacts on our existing

3:03:03financial strategies such as our debt strategy.

3:03:08The second RFP is related

3:03:09to the affordable housing land strategy

3:03:12and it's to study all city owned land,

3:03:14including in use land for sites that could be appropriate

3:03:18for affordable housing development.

3:03:20This builds on the findings that 97, sorry, 99%

3:03:25of city owned land is actively used

3:03:28for community or operational purposes

3:03:31and puts into action, Merrill direction

3:03:33and council's direction to explore the development

3:03:35of downtown surface parking lots

3:03:37and other properties excluding park land

3:03:41and sites earmarked for future green space.

3:03:45This work will identify criteria

3:03:47and sites to develop or add affordable housing as a use

3:03:51as well as analyze the potential costs

3:03:53and the community impact.

3:03:56This work on both those RFPs are scheduled to both start

3:04:00and conclude at the end of the year

3:04:02as a deliverable on housing affordability strategy

3:04:04action 1.2.

3:04:07Staff are also preparing the first housing affordability

3:04:11strategy monitoring and implementation report

3:04:14and that is planned to be released annually

3:04:16with the first release expected this summer.

3:04:22So now moving into grant funding updates.

3:04:27Progress on capital grant programs

3:04:29supporting housing initiatives is reported

3:04:31through the quarterly budget monitoring process

3:04:34and the third quarterly report was most recently published

3:04:37in December of 2025.

3:04:40And since then Guelph was awarded 3.69 million

3:04:44through Ontario's building faster BFF fund

3:04:48in December of 2025.

3:04:51Last August, the provincial government increased

3:04:54the municipal housing infrastructure program

3:04:56or M-HIP by $1.6 billion to speed up construction

3:05:01of homes and associated infrastructure

3:05:04like roads and water systems.

3:05:08We've also participated in eligible M-HIP streams

3:05:11since the program opened and secured funding

3:05:14for the Wyndham Wellington Water

3:05:16and Wastewater Capacity Improvement Project.

3:05:19And that's a key initiative to unlock

3:05:21additional housing potential in the downtown area.

3:05:26As of January, 2026, no new funding intakes

3:05:29of existing streams or new streams have opened

3:05:32but staff are closely monitoring this.

3:05:36Last year, the federal government opened

3:05:38a new federal agency called Build Canada Homes or BCH

3:05:42to support the growth of affordable housing in Canada,

3:05:46foster collaborative relationships to support building

3:05:49and financing affordable homes

3:05:51and catalyze a new housing industry.

3:05:54BCH is now accepting proposals

3:05:57and they're prioritizing those that demonstrate

3:05:59strong partnerships featuring collaborative projects

3:06:03that successfully leverage capital

3:06:06and really bundle submissions for regional impact.

3:06:10So city staff are engaged in collaborative discussions

3:06:14with numerous community interest holders

3:06:16with the goal of potentially supporting a proposal

3:06:19in 2026 that will advance growth

3:06:22of affordable housing and wealth.

3:06:25The federal government will also invest $51 billion

3:06:29over 10 years through the new build community strong fund

3:06:32or BCSF which will be administered

3:06:35by Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada.

3:06:40The community or HIC, so the community stream of HIC

3:06:43is a rebranded version of the former Canada

3:06:46Community Building Fund and it continues to provide

3:06:49the city with an annual allocation

3:06:52to support a variety of infrastructure projects.

3:06:57The federal budget 2025 indicated the Canada Housing

3:07:01Infrastructure Fund or CHIF is to be repurposed to BCSF

3:07:06or that what I just mentioned,

3:07:07the Building Community Strong Fund.

3:07:10The city's CHIF application for $34.8 million

3:07:14was submitted last March

3:07:16and was supported with strong advocacy.

3:07:20However, in January of this year,

3:07:22the city was notified that this application

3:07:24was not selected for funding.

3:07:27However, it may be considered for funding under BCSF

3:07:34once it is established.

3:07:36So staff will also continue to monitor

3:07:38active funding opportunities and advocate

3:07:41with funding partners on applications currently under review.

3:07:49So as we move into advocacy,

3:07:52in 2025, the city focused on elevating Guelph's

3:07:55housing challenges and pushing for coordinated

3:07:59system-wide solutions across all levels of government.

3:08:03The city emphasized that municipal tools alone

3:08:06cannot address the scale of need,

3:08:09especially as Guelph continues to experience

3:08:12population growth, escalating construction costs,

3:08:16and mounting pressure on emergency

3:08:18and supportive housing systems.

3:08:22Our advocacy underscored how regulatory barriers,

3:08:25inconsistent funding streams, and misaligned policies

3:08:29across governments slow progress

3:08:31towards achieving collective housing goals.

3:08:35During the federal and provincial election periods,

3:08:37the city met with candidates

3:08:39to reinforce Guelph's housing priorities.

3:08:41And we continued that advocacy

3:08:44at the 2025 AMO conference

3:08:46in discussion with provincial representatives.

3:08:50These discussions focused on building awareness,

3:08:53strengthening partnerships, and encouraging collaborative

3:08:57action and support to address shared challenges

3:09:00across the housing continuum.

3:09:06So now moving into housing communications,

3:09:09marketing, and engagement.

3:09:12In 2025, we launched an ambitious,

3:09:15integrated marketing and communications plan for housing.

3:09:19Our goal was to provide clear,

3:09:21timely, and accurate information.

3:09:25We wanted to help our community understand

3:09:26the city's housing work and progress

3:09:28across major housing initiatives.

3:09:31This work was led by a dedicated team

3:09:34from our Strategic Communications

3:09:36Community Engagement Department.

3:09:39The plan combined organic social media,

3:09:42paid digital ads, website updates, media relations,

3:09:46community engagement, and more.

3:09:48And staff collaborated to bring housing conversations

3:09:51and stories to the forefront in Guelph.

3:09:59So here are some examples of how we turned

3:10:01our housing communications strategy

3:10:03into high impact outcomes.

3:10:06So we have a centralized housing hub.

3:10:09In 2024, we updated and centralized

3:10:12the city's housing web pages on guelph.ca slash housing.

3:10:16In 2025, we added a housing spotlight

3:10:19to highlight grants and other key opportunities.

3:10:23Staff also worked to refresh highly visited websites

3:10:27or web pages like guelph.ca slash ADU.

3:10:31Content was simplified.

3:10:33We also added resources and the ADU fee estimator,

3:10:36and then this week we'll be launching

3:10:38a new ADU assessment tool to help homeowners visualize

3:10:43how an ADU could fit on their property.

3:10:47We've also used our social media channels

3:10:49and paid digital ads strategically to reach residents,

3:10:52not for profits, housing providers, and builders,

3:10:56where they already spend their time online.

3:11:00We have an enhanced media approach.

3:11:03We kept our community informed

3:11:05through local and regional news outlets.

3:11:10We issued 18 news releases,

3:11:12and staff had 23 news interviews

3:11:15related to housing last year.

3:11:18We moderated conversations across the city's platform

3:11:22to answer questions and point people

3:11:24to the right information, and we corrected,

3:11:28we worked to correct misinformation quickly.

3:11:31As we gathered feedback from residents,

3:11:33agencies, and partners as part of our engagement

3:11:36on upcoming infrastructure projects that support housing.

3:11:41We also held regular meetings

3:11:43with the County of Wellington's communications team

3:11:45to coordinate housing updates.

3:11:48We connected with local nonprofits,

3:11:51housing providers, and home builders

3:11:53to encourage them to promote housing updates

3:11:56through their channels.

3:11:58So we worked with groups like

3:11:59Wealth Wellington Poverty Elimination Collaborative

3:12:02and the Grand Highland Home Builders Association.

3:12:06We also partnered with Wealth Transit for public ads,

3:12:09had postcards at service counters,

3:12:12and shared housing information on screens

3:12:14and city facilities, libraries, and community centers.

3:12:19And then later this month,

3:12:21the city will issue our first ever

3:12:22quarterly housing e-newsletter.

3:12:26People can get timely updates

3:12:28about the city's housing related work

3:12:29straight to their inbox.

3:12:32And to sign up, we encourage the public

3:12:34to go to gulf.ca slash housing

3:12:36and click on the blue sign up button that will be there.

3:12:44So our team is data driven.

3:12:47We are constantly evaluating key metrics

3:12:50and updating our approach based on

3:12:51what we're hearing from the community.

3:12:54And here are some data points that showcase

3:12:56how our housing story connected with the community in 2025.

3:13:02So our content appeared more than 11 million times.

3:13:05And so this content is an aggregate of,

3:13:08the aggregate impressions from organic social

3:13:10as well as paid Google, Meta, and LinkedIn ads,

3:13:15which is the equivalent of over 74 views

3:13:17per Guelph resident.

3:13:20This tells us we achieved broad awareness

3:13:23of the city's housing initiatives and progress.

3:13:28More than 800 people shared our housing content

3:13:30with friends, family, and networks.

3:13:33Those shares move our information through the community

3:13:36faster than we could ever achieve alone.

3:13:40Over 37,000 people clicked through

3:13:43to learn more about programs, grants, and initiatives.

3:13:48Our organic engagement rate was 2.5 times higher

3:13:53than the government average.

3:13:55A measure of how often people interact with our posts

3:13:58through likes, comments, shares, or clicks,

3:14:02showing strong consistent interest

3:14:04in the city's housing work.

3:14:07Earned media coverage reached about 835 million people

3:14:12in 2025, and this sounds like a phenomenally large number

3:14:16and because it is.

3:14:18So earned media reach estimates how many people could

3:14:22have seen the content using audience and traffic models.

3:14:27This combines news outlet circulation,

3:14:30social audience size, and engagement signals of platforms

3:14:35where the city of Guelph is mentioned.

3:14:37Media stories helped amplify our city updates

3:14:41and decisions far beyond our own channels.

3:14:44So what does all this mean?

3:14:47We're diversifying our channels to reach people

3:14:50where they're at and get uptake for our programs.

3:14:54We're able to target Guelph residents directly

3:14:56through digital campaigns and go broader when needed.

3:15:01And high engagement, earned media reach, and web visits

3:15:05show that housing remains a priority for our community.

3:15:10This work is continuing into 2026 and beyond.

3:15:14And with that, I'd like to invite DCO Gaiman

3:15:17back to the microphone.

3:15:24Thank you, Kushla.

3:15:26All right, we're almost there.

3:15:28Council, you've heard an impressive recap

3:15:31of the work done in Guelph to keep moving us forward.

3:15:34And what you should be feeling is a bit of a maturing approach

3:15:37on the housing delivery that the city is working towards.

3:15:40But despite all this great work, there's still more to do

3:15:43to tackle the housing file challenges.

3:15:45For instance, the city is navigating many lengthy

3:15:48development appeals, critical labor shortages,

3:15:52rapid and complex provincial legislative changes,

3:15:56economic uncertainty affecting housing supply,

3:15:59and the slowing population growth.

3:16:01The reality is that this creates operational strain,

3:16:05destabilizes development activity,

3:16:07and increases pressure to manage risks

3:16:09for our long-term growth.

3:16:11Staff are mitigating these impacts where possible

3:16:13through advocacy, internal and external collaboration,

3:16:16strategic planning, and innovative approaches,

3:16:19including development process refinements.

3:16:22We're also monitoring and assessing any opportunities

3:16:25these challenges present, which may result

3:16:27in evidence-based recommendations

3:16:29for future council consideration

3:16:31as we continue to improve our strategies, policies,

3:16:34and processes so that Guelph is ready

3:16:36for the housing market to bounce back.

3:16:42Housing considerations are central

3:16:44to how the city operates,

3:16:46supports sustainable long-term growth,

3:16:48and strengthens investment readiness.

3:16:50It's in our DNA staff to consider housing

3:16:52in everything we do.

3:16:55As we wrap up our presentation

3:16:56and open the floor to questions,

3:16:57I ask that you remember that we are unlocking housing,

3:17:01sorry, land for housing, enabling more density,

3:17:04reducing barriers, streamlining processes,

3:17:07and expanding affordable and non-market housing options.

3:17:10We saw an increase in 2025 of housing units

3:17:13in development and site plan applications.

3:17:16This offers evidence of strong market interest

3:17:19and a reflection of Guelph's housing readiness.

3:17:22Guelph is resilient and continues to adapt

3:17:24to economic realities and is well positioned

3:17:26for upcoming growth and investment.

3:17:29We are in fact ready.

3:17:31Thank you.

3:17:32Great.

3:17:33Thank you again to staff

3:17:34and thank you for putting this presentation together.

3:17:38Yep, sure, well, clap.

3:17:42Was there any questions at all?

3:17:44Okay, Boussatil, Gullwur, Koran, and Alt.

3:17:51Okay, go ahead, Boussatil, please.

3:17:53Thank you, and through the mayor

3:17:55and to the staff, huge amount of work,

3:17:57just huge appreciation.

3:17:59I think we should be doing a wave

3:18:00or something here in council.

3:18:02Amount of work with the changing regulations,

3:18:04and at the same time, our earlier presentations

3:18:07of the shrinking purse, our public purse,

3:18:11what is it, something from nothing?

3:18:12We're Matt magicians here

3:18:14making something happen with nothing,

3:18:16even with the funding that we get through half and so on.

3:18:20Just, I'm really proud of the work that you're doing,

3:18:23which is really, really proud

3:18:24and really respect that you're listening to council

3:18:27and to the community as well.

3:18:28I do have two questions.

3:18:31On page 16, the section 1.13 about the RFP

3:18:36and then below it, 1.2.1, just want to publicly ask,

3:18:41if this work also includes,

3:18:44I always bristle at affordable housing.

3:18:47I know Chris is gonna nod her head.

3:18:50Affordable housing to me is a provincial affordable housing

3:18:54and my question is about whether or not

3:18:56those sections will also look at community,

3:19:00which is the new county term for public social housing.

3:19:04If that scope of work will also look at

3:19:08the city's role in using our underutilized assets

3:19:13for not only affordable provincial housing,

3:19:16but also for partnerships with thresholds and so on,

3:19:22like we've already done.

3:19:22If that research work will encompass that.

3:19:29Through the mayor to council,

3:19:31Bruce Till thank you for the question.

3:19:33In terms of the RPs, yes.

3:19:35We, at this point, we would be putting out an EO,

3:19:38or an expression of interest in terms of,

3:19:42we would be using the provincial definition

3:19:44of affordability, but it, depending on applicants,

3:19:48we could get deeply affordable right up to just below market

3:19:52affordable for the units that come in.

3:19:54So again, it could be any number of levels of affordability

3:20:02in terms of what's coming in on city owned lands.

3:20:04Okay, thank you.

3:20:05Thank you for that.

3:20:06And the second one is,

3:20:08during your presentation there,

3:20:09Chris, you were talking about writing funding applications

3:20:12and collaborative proposals,

3:20:14same kind of question around affordable,

3:20:18my assumption is that the collaboration could also be

3:20:22for deeply affordable community public housing.

3:20:27I think we need to have some consistency in the language,

3:20:30but we're also, we're not just looking at affordable,

3:20:33but also those community housing that we have seen

3:20:37a dearth of development and a huge need for that

3:20:40with the centralized wait list.

3:20:45Through the mayor to council, Bruce Till, that's correct.

3:20:49Again, the definition of affordability

3:20:52or what could be provided through grants and applications

3:20:55could be arranged right from deeply affordable

3:20:57right up to below market.

3:21:00Thank you.

3:21:01And again, just excellent work to the planning department

3:21:04and the rest of the team and everyone,

3:21:06just thank you very much for this.

3:21:08Thank you.

3:21:09And Guller is next.

3:21:12Thank you through your worship to staff.

3:21:15I wanted to echo councillor Bush Till's

3:21:17congratulations on this huge amount of work

3:21:21that has been done.

3:21:22I also wanted to just remark that a few years ago,

3:21:27when it came down to housing issues,

3:21:28I would ask Wellington County,

3:21:31how much affordable housing does wealth need?

3:21:33And they would say, well, that's up to you.

3:21:35And now we had this issue where we didn't have the capacity.

3:21:37So I want to acknowledge that we've pivoted very quickly

3:21:40in the last year and a half to now have dedicated staff

3:21:43that are doing this work in-house to give us that information

3:21:47and to create this plan,

3:21:49which I'm very, very grateful for.

3:21:51I have put this out to my constituents

3:21:54and a couple of them have asked within the scope

3:21:58of what the city is doing or can do,

3:22:01where does senior housing fall into that in terms of,

3:22:05I know there's a very long list of long-term housing

3:22:09and I do acknowledge that the city does work

3:22:12through the Elliott and that there was some beds added

3:22:16in the last year or so,

3:22:17but if you can tell me within this body of work,

3:22:19how does senior housing fall into this?

3:22:24Through the mayor to the councillor.

3:22:25So senior housing has two elements.

3:22:28So it's the licensed facilities, such as the Elliott.

3:22:32And then, I think some of the questions we've heard is,

3:22:35what are we doing to promote senior housing

3:22:37that's not licensed?

3:22:38So as we've shared even earlier today, we can't people's own.

3:22:42So it's an apartment typically,

3:22:45and whether it's geared towards students

3:22:46or geared toward seniors or geared toward families,

3:22:51for us it's just an apartment,

3:22:54which is the difficulty that I understand

3:22:58we're hearing in the community.

3:23:00Certainly we would encourage private developers

3:23:04to bring that forward,

3:23:06but we have not seen those in recent years come forward.

3:23:12Thank you for that.

3:23:14I understand that in terms of the non-licensed housing,

3:23:18but we have seen that a lot of people are coming to build

3:23:21student housing in Guelph, and I'm very grateful for that.

3:23:24In terms of that long-term care facilities,

3:23:27the city does have one,

3:23:28but is there anything we can do to encourage

3:23:30other long-term care facilities to come

3:23:33and set up shop in Guelph?

3:23:35Do we have tools to encourage that type of development

3:23:38to come to the city?

3:23:44Yeah, through the mayor to the councillor,

3:23:45so we don't have any specific tools for that.

3:23:49I know in the past few years,

3:23:51earlier maybe four or five years ago,

3:23:52we had a couple of proposals

3:23:53that have not come to fruition.

3:23:55They were proposals potentially on contaminated sites

3:23:57that are a problem,

3:23:59so we have seen proposals come forward,

3:24:01but they've not been built at this point in time.

3:24:04Okay, thank you for that.

3:24:06So, following along the questions of Councillor Bustatilo's

3:24:10question about the community housing,

3:24:13as we put out these explorations of city land

3:24:17and underused land and co-locating land,

3:24:22would that co-location,

3:24:24as well as looking at affordable rental housing,

3:24:27would we consider a co-location

3:24:29with new long-term care facilities,

3:24:32thinking of the 900 plus people in Guelph

3:24:35that are waiting for long-term care housing?

3:24:42So, through the mayor,

3:24:44I guess I would really look back at the policies

3:24:47that Council has endorsed at this point,

3:24:50and so we as staff are very much focused

3:24:53on the affordable housing strategy

3:24:55that has just been approved.

3:24:57If the long-term care beds

3:25:01or whichever other type of maybe housing

3:25:05falls into that affordable range in terms of price,

3:25:09then we are absolutely in,

3:25:12would be considering that type of development.

3:25:15Just specifically to your question about long-term care,

3:25:19the province is involved in the allocation

3:25:21of the licenses for those beds.

3:25:23And so there is a bit of a nuance there too.

3:25:26I understand that Guelph does have, not the city,

3:25:31but Guelph geographically,

3:25:33does have beds licenses that are yet to be built.

3:25:37And so that's an avenue that staff

3:25:40and others continue to have conversations

3:25:45with about next steps in that sense.

3:25:50Well, thank you for all this work.

3:25:51I really appreciate it,

3:25:52and I'm very excited to see all these developments.

3:25:54Thank you.

3:25:55Thank you.

3:25:56Thank you.

3:25:58I'm so sorry, I know it's Alton Karan.

3:26:00I just can't remember what order it was.

3:26:02I'll go Karan first, and then I'll go to Alton.

3:26:06Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

3:26:07And I joined my colleagues

3:26:08in applauding this presentation

3:26:10and all the work we're doing.

3:26:12You know, a few years ago, we as a council, as a group,

3:26:16as we were strategic planning,

3:26:17we were unanimous in our resolve

3:26:19that we were going to be the council of housing,

3:26:22and we were going to move forward.

3:26:24The housing agenda like was never done before.

3:26:27And then we delegated so much to staff.

3:26:30And then we don't often see in the public

3:26:34how much is really being done behind the scenes.

3:26:36This presentation, I think, is really timely

3:26:39as we head into 2026 at the end

3:26:41of our kind of strategic planning window.

3:26:44So my questions are related to,

3:26:47I like to have data as we're moving forward,

3:26:50and we've done a number of things.

3:26:51And in the list of the suite,

3:26:54the ecosystem of changes that we've made,

3:26:56whether they've been in politics on us,

3:26:58or whether we've followed our own planning advice,

3:27:03or whether we are best practice leaders in the province.

3:27:06There's a number of different things that we're doing.

3:27:09How are we measuring the success of each item?

3:27:12So is there something that we're doing

3:27:14that has led to a higher percentage of building starts

3:27:18and others that are just not working or not impactful?

3:27:24That relationship with our home builders

3:27:26and our development partners and in the community

3:27:29is essential to getting that feedback.

3:27:31So I wonder if you could talk just a little bit

3:27:32about how we're evaluating each one of those measures

3:27:35so that we can be doing the right things moving forward.

3:27:45No, no, who's tonight?

3:27:51Through the mayor to Councillor Caron.

3:27:53In terms of reporting, there are several ways

3:27:56that we will be reporting on measures of success.

3:27:58So the first is we do report

3:28:00through our housing accelerator fund.

3:28:03We do report on that and some of that reporting

3:28:05captured in this semiannual housing report.

3:28:08Also, as mentioned, we're doing our first annual

3:28:12housing affordability strategy,

3:28:14monitoring and implementation report,

3:28:17which does have indicators of success included in that

3:28:22for each of the actions there.

3:28:25So that will be upcoming in July,

3:28:28where we will start to get a baseline of information on that.

3:28:32And then I may hand it over to Ms. Wauke.

3:28:36So we'll, sorry, just to parse that out a little bit.

3:28:40So we'll be able to see how each action is impacting.

3:28:42So for example, our community planning permit system,

3:28:45did we get say a 40% increase in those zones

3:28:48compared to the rest of the city?

3:28:49I'm just trying to ensure that as we allocate resources

3:28:53to advance our housing agenda,

3:28:55they're reporting our resources to the right actions.

3:29:02Through Mayor Guthrie to Councillor Caron.

3:29:04So for that indicator and for many of the other indicators

3:29:07in the housing affordability strategy,

3:29:09it will be looking at the number of units

3:29:11that have been brought online or affordable units

3:29:13that have been brought online

3:29:15due to the particular action that is being measured.

3:29:20Great, that's what I'm looking for.

3:29:25Advocacy, I'm wondering,

3:29:28I know that we've used AMO,

3:29:32we've got our various associations that we've worked through.

3:29:37I'm just wondering how this council

3:29:38can be a little bit stronger in advocacy,

3:29:41not only on behalf of our home builders

3:29:43and our developers on behalf of our community and our staff.

3:29:46And I wonder, I've got a potential motion

3:29:49to add to this report receipt to ask the province,

3:29:55through the mayor, for a two year moratorium

3:29:59on all legislative changes under the Ontario Planning Act

3:30:02that impact our land use planning resources,

3:30:04our staffing and our responsiveness.

3:30:07We have spent so much staff time responding to changes

3:30:11that it's slowing down.

3:30:12We're hearing this from our development community,

3:30:16is that we have to respond to every legislative change

3:30:19and then we have to wait until we're in compliance.

3:30:22So instability in regulations

3:30:27is impacting our development community

3:30:30and being able to move forward on projects

3:30:32where they had a set of rules and then the rules change.

3:30:35I think a two year moratorium will go a long way

3:30:37in getting that regulatory stability back.

3:30:41And I'm just wondering what our staff think

3:30:43that council could make a statement to that effect.

3:30:49Through the mayor and a councillor, Karan,

3:30:51thank you for your comments.

3:30:52And certainly I think 444 Ontario municipalities

3:30:56would agree that it's been a really challenging environment

3:30:58for a lot of years.

3:31:00I think realistically, and of course,

3:31:02it's to the will of council,

3:31:03we have very strong advocacy priorities

3:31:06through the advocacy strategy that council endorsed.

3:31:08And that allows the intergovernmental team

3:31:10to sort of prioritize our limited resources

3:31:13and be moving towards delivering action

3:31:15that advance files in our community.

3:31:17And so certainly a secondary message

3:31:20for us every single time we meet with them

3:31:22is the impact that legislative change is having.

3:31:24I think though we also have to sort of balance that

3:31:26with what we hear this government signaling

3:31:29and they are returning to work quite shortly

3:31:33to the legislature and we're expecting

3:31:35quite a busy spring session.

3:31:38And so I think when we think about the messages

3:31:40that are in front of them right now for us,

3:31:42our priority messages are around achieving some of the things

3:31:45that enable us to get shovels in the ground,

3:31:47get housing built and ensure that we have infrastructure

3:31:50that we can maintain and afford to maintain

3:31:55for our community, right?

3:31:56With all of the changes that we have seen

3:31:58and continue to expect on development charges.

3:32:01So to the will of council, whether you'd like us

3:32:05to share that message in some formal way

3:32:08on your behalf about the instability this is providing,

3:32:11but realistically when we look at the environment

3:32:13that they are telegraphing for the spring,

3:32:15we're certainly gearing up for another busy season of change.

3:32:19Yeah, thank you for that input

3:32:20because I did just send a potential motion

3:32:23and Mr. Mary you can have it put on the floor

3:32:25whenever you think it's appropriate.

3:32:27But I do think a statement on the regulatory instability

3:32:31is needed before any major changes,

3:32:36even if they're already planning those major changes,

3:32:38I still think a statement is needed

3:32:39because it is affecting our development community

3:32:43and they're telling us that.

3:32:44But my last question has to do with,

3:32:47and you alluded to it in your presentation,

3:32:49Guelph is not alone.

3:32:50We all of our GTA neighbors are struggling

3:32:54with the same competition for staff and resources,

3:32:58the same economic formula, labor and materials.

3:33:04So my question has to do with in comparison

3:33:07to our neighboring municipality.

3:33:11Are you hearing from me?

3:33:12I know you work with planners across the region.

3:33:14So this is directed to our planning staff.

3:33:17Are we seen as leaders?

3:33:18Are we following best practices?

3:33:20Are there other ideas, policies

3:33:25that you're seeing among your colleagues

3:33:27that you think might work in wealth

3:33:29that you'd like to bring forward to have us review

3:33:32or are we leading the pack?

3:33:34And others are looking to ask for leadership

3:33:37and best practices.

3:33:42Through the mayor to the councillor.

3:33:44So I think it's a bit of both.

3:33:45So, I think we had brought in three units as of right

3:33:48before the province mandated it to municipalities.

3:33:51So we were definitely ahead of that.

3:33:53The CPPs were definitely ahead of the curve on that one

3:33:57and the five units reports that's coming back

3:34:00for some further direction at the end of Q2.

3:34:03So in some areas we're leading,

3:34:05but we also talked to our municipal counterparts

3:34:07all the time, probably on a monthly basis

3:34:10to talk about what they're doing,

3:34:11how they're moving things forward.

3:34:13We have exchanges for even for our heritage

3:34:17and try to address the heritage register.

3:34:18We had the city of Toronto staff up here

3:34:20to look at what we're doing.

3:34:22Today I shared insurance rates with the chief planner

3:34:26and Kitchener and said, here's a cheat sheet.

3:34:28We've already done the work, you can use it.

3:34:29So we definitely share as we can

3:34:34and are looking at what we can do to impact

3:34:38the number of housing units

3:34:39and the potential in Guelph as quickly as possible.

3:34:42And if you again refer to that roadmap

3:34:44that was attached to this and one of the attachments,

3:34:46there's a lot.

3:34:47It's pretty full, that one page infographic.

3:34:50So this council has brought forward a lot of policies

3:34:54and recommended a lot of work

3:34:55that is actually improving our supply as we go forward

3:34:58and making sure Guelph is housing ready.

3:35:01Great, thanks.

3:35:02Final comment is just to applaud you Ms. Locky.

3:35:05You and your team have been on a roller coaster

3:35:08for four straight years

3:35:09and you kept motivated and inspired

3:35:12and keep getting the work done.

3:35:13So thank you so much for this report.

3:35:15I think it's a testament to the leadership you and your team.

3:35:19Great, thank you.

3:35:21And to councillor Alters,

3:35:24I think the last one that wanted to speak at least,

3:35:26and then we can get to,

3:35:28I know councillor Bruce-Auto wants to move her seat

3:35:29and we can talk about something else

3:35:31if you need to as well.

3:35:32So councillor Alters, please.

3:35:33Thank you, Mayor Guthrie, through you to staff.

3:35:36And I think the first two questions that I have

3:35:39are to move Walke.

3:35:41And Ms. Walke, you had mentioned that the Ontario mayors

3:35:44have established a consistent framework

3:35:47for, I believe it is for reporting on housing permits

3:35:52and development.

3:35:55Could you explain why they've done that

3:35:58and how that helps?

3:35:59Does it help to refute disinformation

3:36:02about cities obstructing development proposals?

3:36:13Through the mayor of the councillor.

3:36:14So some of the reporting metrics

3:36:16that have been agreed upon

3:36:18are really to have a consistent framework

3:36:21across the big city mayor region.

3:36:25We report to the province as planning departments

3:36:28every quarter as well,

3:36:29but it's to ensure that we're all talking the same thing.

3:36:32And we can share that information.

3:36:33So the metrics are intended to align municipal reporting

3:36:37so that we're sharing the same information.

3:36:39Okay, and in the interim or in the immediate,

3:36:43is it apparent that municipalities are consistent

3:36:47in their approaches to permits

3:36:49and to the requirements for building

3:36:53as a consequence of this?

3:36:59Through the mayor to the councillor.

3:37:02So the Ontario big city mayors set out the framework

3:37:05for which we report on into them.

3:37:06So I think our reporting is consistent that way.

3:37:10And then our building permits that we report on annually

3:37:14are a number of permits issued

3:37:15and then CMHC captures starts.

3:37:17So again, that's the discrepancy in permits and starts

3:37:20because we don't necessarily control when starts happen.

3:37:23So there are some discrepancies in the system

3:37:25but we're trying our best to work

3:37:27within the frameworks that we have.

3:37:30And thank you because that does lead

3:37:31to the next part of this question.

3:37:33And it's the yet to be built corollary.

3:37:38We have talked in the past of the number of approvals

3:37:41that we have made that are not yet started

3:37:46and there's two things about that.

3:37:47What are we looking at that have not yet

3:37:50put shovels in the ground?

3:37:51And are we able to please provide information

3:37:55to the public about how far back some of those go?

3:38:01Yeah, through the mayor to the councillor.

3:38:03So we did have on our housing website at one point in time

3:38:06kind of that list of long lead times.

3:38:11We identified additional ones

3:38:13in our servicing allocation policy recently,

3:38:16those that are 10 years and older

3:38:19and how do we get those moving based on historical numbers?

3:38:23And then in July of every year,

3:38:26we bring forward the annual growth monitoring

3:38:28and affordable housing report.

3:38:29And in that report, we provide an update

3:38:32on our short-term housing supply,

3:38:34how many units we have ready.

3:38:35And we often highlight those that have been sitting

3:38:38for a long time or those that are not quite ready to go.

3:38:42So we do report on it in a couple of different spaces,

3:38:45especially those that are longer

3:38:47with the servicing allocation policy

3:38:49that was recently approved.

3:38:51Staff are reaching out to all of those

3:38:54with approvals that are 10 years and older to start.

3:38:56That's our first stop.

3:38:58And to see what we can do,

3:39:00we also have our development advisor

3:39:01who has been meeting with everyone

3:39:03who has a project that is two years or more and older

3:39:06and has not yet been built.

3:39:07So to ask those questions on why they haven't been built,

3:39:11as was alluded to in the presentation,

3:39:13there are a lot of factors that are slowing housing down

3:39:16in the market right now,

3:39:17but we are actively talking with those developments

3:39:20and those property owners to see if they can go forward.

3:39:24Yeah, I appreciate that clarity.

3:39:25Because if I recollect,

3:39:26we're looking at about 6,000, I believe, in Guam.

3:39:29But if I'm wrong,

3:39:30I would certainly like to be corrected on that.

3:39:34I think it's important that we do identify

3:39:36that there are economic factors

3:39:38that are beyond the control of the city

3:39:40that have led to housing slowdowns

3:39:42that we just don't have any control over.

3:39:46If I'm wrong in any of that,

3:39:48I'm quite happy to be corrected.

3:39:50There is another question as well, however,

3:39:52and that's the unallocated water, wastewater capacity.

3:39:56I'm hoping I understand that correctly.

3:40:01So in practical terms, what does this mean?

3:40:04Does it mean that if we have limited capacity

3:40:06in some areas of the city,

3:40:08are we shifting focus to other areas of the city

3:40:11to capitalize on our capacity to actually build elsewhere?

3:40:16And are there ramifications of that,

3:40:19both in budget for infrastructure

3:40:21and also in the potential for approvals in certain areas,

3:40:26not necessarily getting made

3:40:28because we're reaching our threshold of development

3:40:32very quickly.

3:40:36Through the mayor to the councillor,

3:40:37also on the first part of your question, councillor,

3:40:39the city system is built for a certain level of resiliency.

3:40:42And so it's not so much that we focus on one particular zone

3:40:45versus another in terms of the available supply in that way.

3:40:49And so the systems are all interconnected,

3:40:52but there are limitations maybe in certain local areas

3:40:54with respect to pipe sizing, for example,

3:40:56and capacity in that manner.

3:40:58Ultimately, the master plans

3:41:00and the sort of longer term forecast that we have

3:41:02do identify supply up to certain population

3:41:05and employment job type thresholds.

3:41:07And so you see those in those 2031, 2041 type horizons.

3:41:11And then with respect to the sort of unlocking

3:41:14of other areas in the city,

3:41:16you're right in that the capital prioritization framework

3:41:19that the city has as we bring the 10 year capital plans

3:41:22to council each year does put things in an order

3:41:25and that's to sort of balance out the idea

3:41:27that there isn't an unlimited amount of financial resources.

3:41:30And so we do have to go in an order

3:41:32and in that order, we're focusing on things like downtown,

3:41:35for example, as a top priority.

3:41:37And then we're moving into the other areas of the city

3:41:39as the resources and processes allow.

3:41:43And thank you.

3:41:44So, and please again, correct me or inform me of this,

3:41:49is it conceivable that some of these approvals

3:41:52that we have done that are sometimes even 10 years old,

3:41:56could are we in a position where they might have

3:41:59to be rescinded because we have to focus

3:42:01on infrastructure elsewhere?

3:42:05Through the mayor to you, councillor Alton,

3:42:07I think what you're getting at is the sort of new use

3:42:10or lose it policy that was recently approved at council.

3:42:12And certainly the spirit of that is that you cannot hold

3:42:16that water capacity for an indefinite amount of time.

3:42:19And so part of that is to encourage people to move forward,

3:42:22to build it's a housing crisis we want units built.

3:42:25And if not, we can't continue to hold the water capacity

3:42:27for others who may be ready to move forward.

3:42:32And thank you.

3:42:33That was very clear.

3:42:33Finally, I do want to thank everyone who has presented.

3:42:37I think it's quite clear that wealth is moving forward

3:42:42as best we can, despite the impediments that are put

3:42:45in place by such things as changing legislation,

3:42:48which in many respects is actually a consequence

3:42:51of developers wishing it.

3:42:53So thank you to everyone who is present and has presented.

3:43:01Okay, thank you so much.

3:43:04I have no one further.

3:43:05I know councillor Boussatou is willing to move receipt

3:43:08and downer is willing to second receipt of this as well.

3:43:12We can at least get that out of the way.

3:43:14I'm not sure where councillor Keran is trying to go

3:43:18with if there is another matter there,

3:43:19but let's at least call the vote then on the receive.

3:43:23I'll do that now.

3:43:25Is there anyone against that?

3:43:28Okay, so that's unanimous as well.

3:43:31Now, councillor Keran, you mentioned you might want to try

3:43:34to bring something forward, but I'm not sure based on

3:43:38the answers from our intergovernmental staff

3:43:40or approved advocacy policy and direction that we have,

3:43:45are you wanting to still try to do something

3:43:47or do you want your statements just to stand?

3:43:51Or I just, I want to leave it up to you.

3:43:53I'll give you the floor.

3:44:02We're gonna have to find the mute button.

3:44:04I did hear the answer from the intergovernmental

3:44:06that more advocacy is always appreciated,

3:44:09especially at the political level.

3:44:11And I compliment Miss Sales like,

3:44:13we are doing the advocacy at the staff level through AMO.

3:44:17We, but we've never made a statement as a council.

3:44:20And I think I've sent a potential motion to the clerks.

3:44:25I anticipate that there may be changes coming

3:44:28to the planning act and I think it would be beneficial

3:44:31to go on record as educating the minister and the premier

3:44:39that when these regulatory changes happen,

3:44:43it affects our ability to do good land use planning

3:44:49because we're strained for resources staffing

3:44:52and it affects our ability to respond to change.

3:44:55So I do think that a letter would be timely

3:45:00as the new session opens and that our position

3:45:04on the stresses that we're under

3:45:06should be communicated to the province

3:45:10on behalf of the city.

3:45:13So I would move that if I have a seconder.

3:45:16It looks like Councillor Alta, you question or seconding?

3:45:22Both.

3:45:25I'll second that.

3:45:26I have a comment.

3:45:29Okay, go ahead.

3:45:30You have a comment.

3:45:32I'm quite happy to support this

3:45:34because I think it does point out

3:45:36that there have been massive changes that have occurred

3:45:39that for all intents and purposes have meant

3:45:42that we're not able to stand in place

3:45:44and address issues effectively

3:45:47when changes coming at us at infinitum.

3:45:51And I will support it despite the fact

3:45:53that there is one concern that I have

3:45:55that there may be legislative changes

3:45:58that we might wish to have.

3:46:00I think the intent is precisely what Councillor Caron has said

3:46:03is to give us the consistency that we need

3:46:06to put the buildings in the ground.

3:46:10Yeah, thank you, Councillor Alta.

3:46:12And I know that Miss Sales wants to jump in

3:46:17from an intergovernmental advocacy lens

3:46:19and then I'll come back to us.

3:46:22Go ahead, Jody.

3:46:23Through the mayor, just an administrative point

3:46:25on the draft motion.

3:46:27Our past practice has not been to send a copy of the motion

3:46:31when it's sent to AMO.

3:46:32We don't often copy all of the member municipalities

3:46:35that can be administratively burdensome

3:46:37for our clerk's department.

3:46:39And so AMO shares it with this board

3:46:41and escalates it as appropriate

3:46:44or connects with our intergovernmental staff

3:46:45for more information about the specific item.

3:46:48So there may be a friendly amendment there for housekeeping.

3:46:55Okay, we can circle back to that.

3:46:58So any more questions before comments at least

3:47:00before we maybe correct that?

3:47:03Oh, okay, Councillor Downer.

3:47:05Yes, I'd love to support something like this,

3:47:09but I do have that concern that there's advocacy going on

3:47:18that could impact changes in legislation

3:47:22to the Planning Act.

3:47:24And it's not just going on in Guelph,

3:47:26it's going on across the province.

3:47:28And some of these, if he's listening,

3:47:33his polls aren't quite as good as they used to be,

3:47:36this may, there may be an influence.

3:47:40And if we do something like this,

3:47:41we could be shooting ourselves in the foot.

3:47:44So I would rather Councillor Kerron take this motion away

3:47:51and maybe finesse it a bit more onto the moratorium

3:47:56on changes that could impact such and such

3:48:00and such and such is what I would prefer.

3:48:03So I can't support it in this current wording

3:48:06and it's come to me rather suddenly too.

3:48:09So but I would, if something was more finessed around

3:48:15that it was to do with some of the negative impacts,

3:48:17but I am concerned because we do,

3:48:20we could be finger pointing at us for,

3:48:23if some of the advocacy that's going on

3:48:28is helpful to municipalities.

3:48:33Okay, thank you.

3:48:36If you don't mind, Councillor Kerron,

3:48:38can I just jump in with my comments

3:48:39because then you can wrap them up

3:48:40whether you agree or disagree with them

3:48:42and then you can have the final say, okay, perfect.

3:48:44Or you can correct some of that little administrative thing

3:48:46as well that Jodi brought up.

3:48:49Yeah, this is, I totally understand.

3:48:53In fact, I've said it a million times

3:48:55about how these drips and drabs of changes

3:48:58that come all the time.

3:48:59I mean, we're all united on that.

3:49:02So I'll stop there on that part.

3:49:04The problem is exactly what Councillor Allt said.

3:49:10So there is the potential to have legislation come

3:49:14this month that could look to set up publicly owned

3:49:18and publicly run utilities to help lower development charges

3:49:25across the entire province for housing

3:49:28for water and wastewater infrastructure.

3:49:31So like why would we, why would we want to pass a motion here

3:49:36that stops potentially something that might be good?

3:49:40So I think we have to be very careful

3:49:44on sort of the broad based wording,

3:49:47which is where Councillor Downer I think is right

3:49:49to bring up that issue.

3:49:51The net has been cast so wide here

3:49:55that it to a fault, it may touch on actual policy

3:50:01or legislation that actually might be good.

3:50:05And we yet don't even really know it's coming.

3:50:08And of course we have our normal process with staff

3:50:10that identify through the register, you know,

3:50:14every single bill that comes forward and whatnot.

3:50:17The other thing that I would just say is

3:50:21the flip side to what Councillor Caron is asking for

3:50:25is something that actually many municipalities

3:50:29and organizations and developers

3:50:31and whatnot has been looking for.

3:50:32And what I mean by that is instead of drips

3:50:34and drabs coming out, just make 30 changes

3:50:40and get it all done at one time

3:50:42so that certainty is done for the future.

3:50:46So this thing could go either way,

3:50:50but I can just tell you right now by, you know,

3:50:52we've had legislation, I'll give you an example.

3:50:55We've had legislation, I would say in the most part

3:50:57that has really tied up our staff 100%.

3:51:00That's not even questionable, 100%.

3:51:02But there has been some where it's been good legislation.

3:51:06Like for instance, between Minister Clark

3:51:10and Minister Calandra for housing,

3:51:13they reinstated the ability for us to collect

3:51:17development charges to go towards capital

3:51:20master plan studies.

3:51:22They reversed that.

3:51:23That was a legislation that was reversed.

3:51:25So to just say that we want a moratorium for two years

3:51:28and I don't know why two years was picked,

3:51:30why not one or why not five?

3:51:33It just seems like this is on the fly.

3:51:35It's not scoped properly.

3:51:40And I'll just tell you right now,

3:51:41I find it difficult to do advocacy work

3:51:45and these types of things do not bode well

3:51:49when the advocacy work that we're actually trying

3:51:52to focus on is being done.

3:51:55So my preference to the mover,

3:51:56because again, she's not,

3:51:58Leigh Ann, I'm sorry, Councillor Caron's not really,

3:52:01she's speaking in the right way.

3:52:04Like don't get me wrong.

3:52:05Like she's speaking in the right way.

3:52:07But this is too much on the fly.

3:52:11It's not encapsulating the context of what we're in

3:52:14and what we're about to probably get.

3:52:17And so I would rather it be removed

3:52:19and brought back at another time

3:52:22where it's scoped more properly.

3:52:23Because I cannot, we shouldn't be doing this today.

3:52:27I'll be blunt.

3:52:28I don't think we should be doing it today

3:52:30the way it's been tabled.

3:52:32That's my opinion.

3:52:33I'll turn it right back to the mover

3:52:35and then we can determine whether or not

3:52:38want to move ahead with this,

3:52:39with the changes or not.

3:52:40Up to you.

3:52:41Go ahead, Leigh Ann.

3:52:42I'm the Councillor Caron.

3:52:43Thanks, Mark Guthrie.

3:52:44And I always appreciate the input of my colleagues.

3:52:47It was on the fly because the slide related to advocacy

3:52:51that our staff presented talked about

3:52:54the progress that was being made

3:52:55and how there were other opportunities

3:52:58for advocacy moving forward.

3:53:00So it was in response to that.

3:53:02And as you said, the focus of this motion

3:53:07was specifically related to the impact

3:53:10it's having on our staffing,

3:53:12the competition for resources

3:53:15and how responsiveness to change

3:53:17is actually slowing down housing.

3:53:20But I would agree with the commentary that's been made

3:53:22that the way it's phrased and the scope

3:53:25maybe isn't clear enough for us to be able

3:53:27to compose a letter at this time.

3:53:29And I will withdraw the motion

3:53:33and I'll come back at a later time

3:53:34with a more defined scope

3:53:36so that our wealth's voice is being heard.

3:53:40But specifically our voice is being heard on matters

3:53:43that are relating to our ability

3:53:45to get shovels in the ground in this community.

3:53:48Great.

3:53:49Thank you.

3:53:50And there's just so you,

3:53:51because you're not in the room,

3:53:52like people are saying, including me,

3:53:54yep, yep, great, great.

3:53:55So there's heads nodding.

3:53:57There's very positive feedback in the room

3:53:59as you're speaking on that.

3:54:01Let's try to work together on that with you

3:54:04and get a unanimous vote on something that can come forward

3:54:07whenever the right timing is there, okay?

3:54:11Perfect.

3:54:12So if there's nothing more than this item

3:54:15as the presentation is done, am I good everybody?

3:54:18Yeah, okay.

3:54:20Thank you again to staff.

3:54:22That's great.

3:54:23We are at our bylaws.