Affordable Housing in Ottawa, Ontario: Intro

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Revised 2005 November 8
COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
SOCIAL RESEARCH UNIT
Affordable Housing in Ottawa, Ontario: A Case Study of Land Use Policy and Transferability
Prepared for the Affordable Housing Implementation Team by Greg Sauer 1
Planning Student, Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary
© 2005 The City of Calgary, Community and Neighbourhood Services, Social Research Unit

1 The opinions expressed in this paper are strictly those of the author and not The City of Calgary. The information contained in this report has not been verified by The City of Calgary.

Executive Summary

Information for this report, carefully considered for its applicability to the Calgary context, is a synthesis of web-based studies of Ottawa's initiatives and personal communications with key City of Ottawa informants. Identified below are a series of land use and policy decisions that, where possible, have been used in combination to spur the market to produce affordable housing in Ottawa. This paper does not critically evaluate each initiative for its effectiveness; rather, the goal is to consider transferability to and desirability for Calgary.

What the reader will find in the following text is a brief on initiatives that have been adopted in the Ottawa context and, at a minimum, should at least be considered for their use in Calgary. Despite arguments that may for a variety of reasons suggest that a particular initiative has no applicability or does not provide a desirable outcome in Calgary, this case study may suggest otherwise. One of the greatest lessons learned through research of the City of Ottawa's affordable housing initiatives is that no magical formula exists to solve contemporary problems. However, given the option between a full toolbox of progressive opportunities and the status quo, the research on Ottawa suggests that a comprehensive and inspired approach is both desirable and necessary.

Topic areas that will be covered in the following text include a City of Ottawa affordable housing primer, followed by policies in support of affordable housing. This latter section includes a discussion of land acquisition and dedication; inclusionary zoning; secondary dwelling units; density bonusing and incentives; cash-in-lieu of parking; condominium conversion; demolition policy; down-zoning; and alternate development standards.

Key findings the reader can expect in the following text pertain to policy directions that The City of Calgary may consider pursuing as part of its ongoing efforts to meet affordable housing targets. One of the premiere findings of this research suggests that the framework guiding municipalities, often referred to as enabling legislation, can in some cases be more disarming than enabling. It is therefore recommended that The City of Calgary pursue an advocacy role with the Alberta Government in key areas including the ability to provide for inclusionary zoning, secondary dwelling units, density bonusing, condominium conversion, and restricting the demolition of affordable housing.

Further, there are a number of areas where The City is empowered through the existing legislation. These areas will still require extensive consideration for their application to the Calgary context and also to ensure the maximum benefit is obtained. Affordable housing policy areas found in Ottawa that should be considered locally include:

It is important to note that a number of funding concerns that have been observed in the preparation of this document have significantly impaired and in some cases prohibited City of Ottawa staff from following through with the actual implementation of programs and procedures to support policy. As a result, the action plans and policy instruments alluded to above have not all been successfully employed to date. They do, however, provide a useful heuristic for The City of Calgary.

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