Brantford leads Ontario cities with the highest percentage of housing starts in May, according to numbers released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
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Monthly statistics released by the corporation on housing starts, completions and units under construction put Brantford at 132 per cent, the highest level of housing starts across the province in May.
The city surpassed its monthly target of 83 units, with 100 unit starts and 62 completions.
In February, city council endorsed a Municipal Housing Pledge demonstrating Brantford’s commitment to accelerating its housing supply by achieving the provincial housing target requiring an average of 1,000 new housing units per year in the city.
The pledge supports the province’s broader goal of adding 1.5 million homes in Ontario over 10 years.
“I am very proud of city council’s commitment and the incredible work done to date by our exemplary planning and housing staff to meet our provincial housing target,” said Mayor Kevin Davis. “We remain focused on attracting and building more diverse housing options in Brantford so that all of our citizens have the opportunity to secure stable housing.”
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In 2022, a total of 1,482 housing units were issued building permits by the city and, as of last month, the city had issued 395 permits.
A news release issued by the city said its planning services team has been supporting the development of new housing through several initiatives, including:
- The city’s new official plan enables a range of housing types, including residential intensification in built-up areas and new greenfield development in an expanded “settlement area.”
- Updating the city’s transportation master plan and master servicing plan in 2021 to align with the new official plan, which identifies key infrastructure requirements and capital projects, such as a new water tower in the north end of the city.
- The new zoning bylaw project, to be completed by the end of the year, which will modernize regulations to support new forms of development.
- The pending launch of a new digital development application process in the fall featuring an online application and an e-permitting software tool to expedite the application process.
While the majority of new housing units will be built by the private sector construction industry, Davis said municipalities play a key role in the supply of housing through enabling land use policies, providing a clear and efficient development approvals process, planning for infrastructure required to service growth and expediting development of municipally-owned affordable housing options.
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