Feds pledge $10.6M to speed construction of affordable housing in North Bay

Building more homes faster – that is the goal of the City of North Bay and the federal government through a new agreement.

The federal government and the City of North Bay have reached an agreement worth $10.6 million to speed up the construction of 337 homes over the next three years.

Mayor Peter Chirico and Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota made the announcement Monday morning at city hall.

“Business as usual will not solve the drastic housing challenges that we’re facing today,” Rota said.

The agreement comes from the second round of the Housing Accelerator Fund set to remove barriers to construction. The target is set for seniors housing, affordable housing and rent-geared-to-income.

“That’s going to take collaboration with city staff, with DNSSAB (District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board), with our development community to ensure that those 337 units are built,” Chirico told reporters.

The city’s action plan involves seven local initiatives, including supporting infill housing with zoning amendments to allow four units as-of-right within the city’s urban area, as well as reducing parking requirements.

10-year plan

The development of affordable housing will be incentivized through the reduction of fees through waivers and grants.

“We had agreed to a 10-year plan of 1,000 units to be built and we’re on track to do that and that’s going to continue the momentum that we’ve created over the past two years,” Chirico added.

“It’s been almost three decades since the last time social housing has been built in North Bay.”

The city also pledges to make city lands available for affordable housing development. It aims to shrink approval timelines by streamlining processes, introducing e-permitting and providing additional staff for service support.

City estimates show there are more than 1,400 people currently on a list waiting to get into affordable housing.

“We have to figure out how to how to maximize this opportunity,” DNSSAB chairman Mark King told CTV News.

“What has to take place here really is a cooperative method with the private sector developers as far as builds are concerned.”

Rota said the federal government is working with cities and towns across Canada to accelerate the construction of 112,000 new homes over the next three years.

“The housing in North Bay needs that boost and this is really going where it needs it most,” Rota said.