Introducing incentives for private-sector developers to build social and affordable housing is one strategy the provincial government is considering as it tries to ramp up investment in geared-to-income units, according to the minister of municipal affairs and housing.

What these partnerships might look like and what incentives could be offered are among what Ted McMeekin says he wants feedback on as the government updates its long-term affordable housing strategy. A consultation document has been posted on the regulatory registry.

“We need, in my humble opinion, the private sector engaged,” he told QP Briefing when asked about the consultations. “To do that, we may need to find some ways to partner, some incentives that we can offer, to get them building the kinds of homes that we think need to be built.”

In November, the minister held a forum that focused on private sector involvement in expanding social and affordable housing. The renewed strategy will also draw on recommendations from this forum.

“Some of the principals of the partnership would fundamentally include that you’ve got to come to the table with some skin in the game, either some money, or some land banking, or like Habitat for Humanity, some labour,” he said.

With a federal election looming in the fall, McMeekin said he’s hoping the province can work with Ottawa on funding to help encourage these partnerships.

In August, the Ontario and federal governments renewed an agreement to help build affordable housing, jointly committing $801 million on projects across the province. The money is to be spent by 2019, with the costs being shared equally between Ottawa and Queen’s Park. The renewed Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) program is not only going to building new housing stock or repairing existing but can also be used as rental supports.

The current affordable housing strategy, launched in 2010, was a first for the province, so now the government wants to take note of what worked and what didn’t in order to enhance it.

So far, McMeekin said he’s heard a lot of talk about inclusionary zoning, which would allow municipalities across Ontario to direct developers to set aside a certain number of units in residential projects as affordable housing.

Liberal MPP Peter Milczyn and NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo have both put forward private members bills to try and get this policy adopted in Ontario.

The policy — which McMeekin said was used decades ago in the province — involves writing zoning rules that require a certain amount of units available to low-income tenants. “It’s a levelling mechanism across society,” McMeekin said.

Others have said strengthening provisions around section 37 of the Planning Act, which allows higher intensification targets in exchange for certain concessions, could be a better way to tackle the issue. Some have suggested amending the section so the concessions better support affordable housing.

McMeekin also commended Toronto Mayor John Tory’s recent announcement that the city will make it easier for developers to build affordable housing. “I’m a keen believer in that kind of approach,” McMeekin said

The consultation continues, as the government will be accepting submissions until July 3. “No policies have been taken yet, but there are a lot of great ideas out there,” McMeekin said.

Since the first affordable housing strategy in 2010, municipalities across Ontario have developed local 10-year housing and homelessness plans. Moving forward, the housing ministry wants to help make Ontario’s housing system easier to navigate, as program and funding responsibilities are currently spread out across four ministries and 47 service managers.

The update will also build on the work of the expert advisory panel tasked with coming up with a reliable estimate of Ontario’s homeless population, which is part of the government’s five-year poverty reduction plan. The panel will wrap up meetings in July and then make recommendations.

According to a 2014 survey by the Ontario Non-profit Housing Association, 165,069 households were waiting for rent-geared-to-income housing, meaning a 3.89 year wait list.

Province looks to taps private sector for affordable housing

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