Pickering “getting it done” on housing, says Ontario Premier
Published March 13, 2024 at 6:03 pm
A record-breaking year for housing has earned the City of Pickering a $5.2 million bonus for blowing past its provincially-imposed 2023 housing targets, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford proclaiming Pickering was “getting it done” on housing.
“We are proud to reward them for their success,” Ford said of the city’s housing stats, which saw Pickering break ground on 1,502 new housing units, surpassing its housing target by 58 per cent. “I’m so proud of Mayor Kevin Ashe and his council colleagues for leading their progress toward their housing targets last year.”
The cash will come from the Province’s Ontario’s Building Faster Fund, which incentivizes municipalities to tackle housing supply issues by providing performance-based funding for housing and community infrastructure.
“My challenge to Mayor Ashe and to every mayor in Ontario is to get even more homes built in the coming years so we can make life more affordable and keep the dream of homeownership alive for families across the province.”
Pickering issued 1,933 building permits last year, with an estimated construction value of $853M and received 1,972 new development applications, valued at $1.26 billion. The numbers represent the most development applications received and building permits issued in a single calendar year for Pickering.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to creating a sustainable, interconnected, and flourishing community that offers a diverse array of housing choices for all residents,” said Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, who thanked Ford for the funds and staff for their work in planning and development.
Videos
“The funding,” Ashe noted, will be “instrumental in building homes faster and ensuring attainable and affordable housing options.”
Pickering’s record-breaking development year will also help address the ongoing housing crisis, he added.
Growth in Pickering in 2023 includes intensification in the City Centre District and Kingston Road Corridor, as well as low-rise housing options in Seaton.
Pickering is also seeing a significant number of ‘missing middle’ development projects, which Ashe said plays a “crucial role” in addressing the housing crisis by filling in the gap between traditional single-family homes and large-scale apartment buildings. New rules from the Province have also allowed residents to incorporate ‘gentle density’ rental unit options into established neighbourhoods, he added.
Ontario Finance Minister and Pickering-Uxbridge MP Peter Bethlenfalvy (left), Premier Doug Ford and Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe