Ottawa’s housing landscape may be on the brink of transformation. On September 19, 2025, the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) voiced strong support for the City of Ottawa’s newly unveiled Housing Acceleration Plan, a bold initiative aimed at streamlining development approvals, reducing housing costs, and intensifying construction near transit hubs.
“The Housing Acceleration Plan directly addresses the biggest barriers to housing in Ottawa: red tape, escalating fees, and the need to build smarter around transit,” said Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director of GOHBA. “By prioritizing speed, affordability, and intensification, the city is setting the right course to deliver more homes more quickly for Ottawa residents.”
The Plan follows closely on the heels of the Auditor General’s Development Application Review released on September 12, which identified critical gaps in Ottawa’s development approval system. The review called for greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency—issues that the Acceleration Plan seeks to address head-on.
Among the proposed reforms are:
• Streamlined legal agreements
• Expanded use of scoped site plan agreements
• Reduced requirements for studies and reports
These measures are designed to eliminate unnecessary delays and lower costs—changes GOHBA has long advocated for.
“It’s clear from the timing of these reports that the city was already addressing these challenges,” Burggraaf noted. “We’re encouraged that the Housing Acceleration Plan proposes solutions to the audit’s key findings around legal delays, approval process clarity and transparency, and performance measurement.”
One of the most pressing concerns for builders and buyers alike is the rising cost of Development Charges (DCs). Since October 1, 2023, DC rates for new homes in Ottawa have surged by 25–30 percent across all housing types. While GOHBA acknowledges the need for infrastructure investment, they’ve consistently called for relief and coordination with federal and provincial governments to ease the financial burden on municipalities and, ultimately, homeowners.
The Acceleration Plan’s commitment to a Development Charge Structure Review is a welcome step, especially as it aligns with anticipated provincial reforms under Bill 17.
GOHBA also supports proposed changes to parkland policies, including:
• Transferring staff to the Planning, Development and Building Services Department
• Deferring, reducing, or waiving cash-in-lieu charges for an 18-month period
• Undertaking a comprehensive policy review
These reforms are expected to encourage higher-density housing near transit corridors, a key goal of the Acceleration Plan.
“The Housing Acceleration Plan takes the right immediate steps to spur intensification and reduce costs for higher-density housing near transit,” Burggraaf said. “We look forward to the next steps on longer-term structural reforms – the DC review, streamlined legal agreements, and a full end-to-end assessment of the approvals process – that will improve overall housing affordability and supply across the city.”
The Housing Innovation Task Force Report and the Housing Action Plan will be reviewed at a Special Joint Meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee and the Planning and Housing Committee on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 1:00 pm.
GOHBA remains committed to advocating for policies that promote housing affordability and supply for Ottawa residents, both now and in the years ahead.
For more information on the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, visit www.gohba.ca.
