Planning and Housing Committee

WHEREAS, on November 13, 2024, Council received and

WHEREAS existing capital resources within the City of Ottawa’s affordable housing budget envelopes are focused on the delivery of new affordable housing development, and WHEREAS affordable housing asset preservation is a stated objective within the community’s 10 Year 2020-2030 Housing and Homelessness Plan, and WHEREAS the acquisition of existing affordable housing assets, and their subsequent transfer to non-market operators, can both prevent evictions among at-risk tenants and secure affordability in perpetuity within the community-owned housing stock, and WHEREAS the Director of Housing Services already has delegated authority to execute acquisitions and already does so on a case-by-case basis; WHEREAS a federal acquisition fund, following from a federal Budget 2024 announcement, may be forthcoming, and WHEREAS funding may flow more quickly to jurisdictions that demonstrate readiness, and WHEREAS the current projection for revenues from the Vacant Unit Tax in 2025 is $12.9 million, but could be higher given the revenue earned in earlier years, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that to maximize readiness and expedite the disbursement of any new acquisitions funding, that 50% of revenue from the Vacant Unit Tax above that forecast in the Long Range Financial Plan for Housing be allocated to an affordable housing Acquisition Fund. For (4) J. Leiper, R. Brockington, L. Johnson, and A. Troster Against (8) L. Dudas, G. Gower, T. Kavanagh, T. Tierney, C. Kitts, C. Curry, C. Kelly, and W.

WHEREAS the land transfer tax is payable to the province on the close of any land acquisition in the province of Ontario unless said transaction is deemed exempt under the provisions of the Land Transfer Tax; WHEREAS the provincial land transfer tax is identified as a potential barrier to non-profit multi-residential acquisitions in the Alliance to End Homelessness report; and WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has the sole ability to modify the Land Transfer tax Act to create exemption classes of transaction. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor write to the Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Premier of Ontario to request that multi-residential property acquisitions by a non-profit housing provider be deemed exempt from payment of the Land Transfer Tax; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor include in this request that municipalities purchasing lands on behalf of a non-profit housing provider for the purposes of either affordable residential construction or housing loss prevention also be deemed exempt from payment of the Land Transfer Tax.

That Planning and Housing Committee recommend that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, approve the Planning and Housing Committee 2025 Draft Operating and Capital Budget as follows: The Planning, Development and Building Services Department Operating Budget, as follows: General Manager’s Office, and Business and Technical Support Services Operating Resource Requirement (page 2) Right of Way, Heritage and Urban Design Services: User Fees (pages 6-10); Operating Resource Requirement (page 4-5); Planning Services: User Fees (pages 13-19); Operating Resource Requirement (page 12); Building Code Services: User Fees (pages 22-29); Operating Resource Requirement (page 21); Strategic Initiatives Department, Affordable Housing Development Operating Resource Requirement (page 31). The Planning Committee Capital Budget (revised page 32), with individual projects listed on revised pages 48-50 (Housing Services), and 51-54. (Planning and Development).