Mayor Del Duca welcomes the Province’s continued investment in Vaughan’s housing future

Mayor Steven Del Duca issued the following statement today after the Province of Ontario announced legislation and new funding to cut red tape and speed up home construction in partnership with municipalities:

“I applaud Premier Ford, Minister Flack and the Government of Ontario for taking bold and creative action to address the housing crisis through the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, which will help speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure, including streamlining the development processes and reducing costs in close partnership with municipalities. 

“The status quo simply isn’t working, and families across Ontario – including mine – deserve to see real change. I want my kids to have the opportunity to own a home in the city where they grew up. 

“In Vaughan, we’re doing our part by reducing development charges by 50 per cent and using every tool available to get more homes built, faster. Development charges have become an unfair tax burden on homebuyers. From 2009 to 2021, the City’s development charge rates increased by 229 per cent, and, since 2018, rates have increased another 66 per cent. 

“Making life affordable for Vaughan residents – both now and in the future – is a priority for the City of Vaughan. That includes taking steps to get shovels in the ground to build new, attainable homes to support our growing population. The City is committed to working with partners at all levels of government to secure investments for the services and infrastructure necessary to build more homes and complete communities. 

“I welcome the Province’s leadership in cutting red tape, standardizing approvals and building a more efficient, affordable future for all Ontarians and urge the Federal Government to come to the table and offer options to help us get real, tangible results.”

QUICK FACTS 

• The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 and other proposed measures consist of 20 initiatives that would accelerate provincial permitting and approvals.
• The proposals work together with measures proposed in Bill 2, the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act, 2025 and Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025, as part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by strengthening internal trade relationships, supporting faster provincial development and supporting buying local.
• Ontario is currently investing nearly $1.3 billion through first and second intakes of HEWSF to support 77 water infrastructure projects that will help municipalities build approximately 600,000 new homes across the province. HEWSF helps municipalities build, repair, rehabilitate and expand critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. The City received $20 million from this fund to widen Portage Parkway, from Applewood Crescent to Jane Street, from two to four lanes, among other improvements.
• Ontario is investing $175 million through the MHIP Health and Safety Water Stream to help municipalities and First Nations build, repair and expand the capacity of aging water, flood and erosion infrastructure.
• The Province is also currently investing $400 million through the MHIP Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream to support the construction of up to 160,000 new homes and ensure these growing communities are connected to reliable roadways. MHIP provides funding for core infrastructure projects that support growing and developing communities.

LEARN MORE 

• Mayor Del Duca’s Member’s Resolution: Making Housing More Affordable in Vaughan (PDF) – Sept. 17, 2024
• Staff report: Development Charges Reduction Options – Response to Member’s Resolution (PDF) – Nov. 12, 2024
• Staff communication: C33 - Development Charges Reduction Options – Response to Member’s Resolution (PDF) – Nov 19, 2024
• City of Vaughan’s Development Charges By-law (PDF)
• Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act
• Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025
• Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund
• Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program
• Ontario Builds: our infrastructure plan