Council discusses the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre acquisition

Council today met in camera to discuss the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre acquisition opportunity. The City will continue its participation in the competitive bidding process in relation to this acquisition opportunity. Given the confidential nature of this process, more details will be shared with the public at a later date.

 Recommendations from the Finance and Corporate Services Committee were considered in open session and approved.

Council approved the 2025 Affordable Housing Capital Strategy – the updated strategy for allocating municipal, provincial and federal funding to accelerate affordable and supportive housing delivery in 2025 and 2026.

The strategy will see Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative funds and other future funding invested in the City’s non-profit affordable housing pipeline, supporting projects nearing or already under construction. The pipeline includes more than 1,500 units receiving support.

The updated strategy also outlines progress on key affordable housing initiatives, including:

• Municipal Land Strategy: 14 sites are being prepared for affordable housing as well as six sites for market housing with affordable units integrated or revenue directed to the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund
• Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP): Up to $60.3 million in Tax Increment Equivalent Grants (TIEGs) have been approved to support 488 affordable units across eight developments
• Municipal Housing Facility By-law Expansion: The City extended property tax exemptions to all eligible non-profit and co-op housing providers
• Bill 23 Development Charge Exemptions: Agreements have been executed to reduce development costs for affordable housing units

Affordable housing is a key priority for this Term of Council and the City has expanded both investments and initiatives to support development. By the end of this term of Council, the City expects to have delivered approximately 850 new affordable housing units – more than double the number built in the previous term.

Build Ottawa’s mandate prioritizes the sale or redevelopment of surplus lands for affordable housing. In 2024, Build Ottawa generated $357,880 from the sale of land adjacent to 150 Kanata Avenue, with $89,470 allocated to the Affordable Housing fund. Despite a slowdown in the land development market, staff advanced work on several properties for future sale and collaborated with City departments to identify opportunities for affordable housing, including evaluating park-and-ride sites and underused City facilities.

With a focus on providing more opportunities for affordable housing, Build Ottawa continues to support Council’s Strategic Priority to increase the available range of housing options through the strategic use of City-owned lands. Since its inception, Build Ottawa has recorded total sales exceeding $108 million, of which $6.5 million was directed to the Affordable Housing fund through the Affordable Housing Land and Funding Policy.

• Agenda