By Mark Buckshon
Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) has welcomed the Ontario government’s announcement of a $1.8-billion investment in housing-enabling infrastructure funding. The investment will help build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031.
“This is a significant investment that will help address the housing crisis in Ottawa,” Patrick Daniels, GOHBA’s president and president of Glenview Homes, said in a late March statement. “The city is growing rapidly, and we need to ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to support this growth.”
The funding will be used to repair, rehabilitate, and expand water, wastewater, and stormwater projects that promote growth and enable housing development. The investment is a result of a recommendation made by GOHBA during last year’s pre-budget consultations.
“We are pleased that the government has taken this step,” GOHBA executive director Jason Burggraaf said. “We are very pleased the government has taken this step. Without this kind of necessary infrastructure funding, there will be little positive impact on housing affordability in the areas the city has identified for growth.”
“If we don’t have sufficient service capacity for things like sewers and stormwater, then intensification will not produce more affordable homes because there will be significant costs to upgrade or expand current infrastructure.”
“It’s so important that we recognize the link between housing affordability and enhancing public infrastructure,” Burggraaf said in a statement before the provincial government released its budget on March 26. “Ensuring that the appropriate infrastructure is in place will address a critical factor in housing supply and affordability and give more Ottawa residents a reasonable opportunity to live in a home of their own.”