Committee takes steps to speed up new home construction in Ottawa

The Planning and Housing Committee today approved changes to the Official Plan that will help reduce delays in new housing construction. The changes will allow the City to approve new subdivisions faster while still making sure water, sewer and stormwater systems are in place before people move in.

Right now, an area must have water, sewer and stormwater systems fully in place before the City can approve a subdivision layout. This step, called draft approval, is needed before construction can begin. In practice, this has slowed down new housing. Even when infrastructure is planned and funded, developers have had to wait to move projects forward. It can also make it harder for developers to get financing, which can further delay projects.

The change approved by Committee would allow earlier approvals, but only when there is clear evidence the required infrastructure will be ready on time. Under the proposed change, draft approval could be granted if all three of the following conditions are met:

• The required infrastructure is included in a City‑approved study or plan
• There is a clear means to pay for the infrastructure
• The infrastructure is scheduled to be operational by the time people move in

The City will continue to make sure essential services are in place before people move in. Existing safeguards require infrastructure to be nearly complete or operating before homes are occupied.

This report will rise to Council on Wednesday, June 10.

The Committee learned more about how many new homes were approved, permitted and started in Ottawa in 2025. Approvals and permits do not mean homes are built right away. They do show that the City is doing its part to support new housing, and that more homes are getting closer to construction.

In 2025, the City approved plans that could allow about 19,300 new homes to move forward. When combined with approvals from previous years, about 29,300 homes were ready to be built across Ottawa by the end of 2025. This includes projects that received building permits after planning approvals, as well as smaller projects that did not need planning permission. 

While Ottawa reached about 70 per cent of the annual housing target for the year set by the Province, construction work increased late in the year, and more homes are now underway. Construction started on more than 9,500 new homes in 2025.

To help address the housing crisis, City Council has committed to supporting the construction of 151,000 quality market homes by 2031. The City tracks the progress of residential development in Ottawa and shares that data through an interactive housing approvals dashboard.

Tracking began in January 2023, and between that time and the end of 2025, Council has provided approvals for more than 69,600 new homes. That has put applicants in a position to build roughly 46 per cent of the homes required to meet that 2031 goal. In addition, zoning permissions for significantly more units have been granted through Council’s approval of the new Zoning By-law. 

Except where noted, City Council will consider the recommendations from today’s meeting on Wednesday, May 27.