Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government has announced $19 million over three years to hire more adjudicators and reduce longstanding backlogs at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) and Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
“We are making even more investments in the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Landlord and Tenant Board to help clear longstanding backlogs and drive faster decisions so we can get more shovels in the ground,” said Attorney General Doug Downey.
Spending was recommended in the Report of the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force as a way to speed up planning decisions.
“We recognize the important role the Ontario Land Tribunal plays in the province’s housing supply, and we remain committed to the principled and timely resolutions of the matters before us,” said Greg Bishop, alternate chair at the OLT. “This investment will allow the tribunal to schedule hearing events and issue decisions quicker and more efficiently than before, and we appreciate the support of the Ontario government to allow us to provide an even higher quality of service.”
In addition to increasing the number of full-time adjudicators and case processing staff, funding will also be used to improve IT platforms to improve access to services online.
“As the ultimate impartial adjudicator, investing in the Ontario Land Tribunal as well as the Landlord and Tenant Board will help break the cycle of delays and appeals – getting homes built faster and helping tenants and landlords resolve disputes,” said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing.
In 2021, Ontario had the highest level of new home construction since 1987 and the highest level of rental construction in 30 years.
We had a consent hearing in December2021 and we are still waiting for a decision on a project that contains over 300 units of apartments, townhouses and semi-detached.