Streamlining the approval process
TORONTO, Ontario, November 11th, 2022
Simcoe County is fast becoming a hub for innovation and cutting-edge technology related to housing.
Plans are in the works in Innisfil for The Orbit, a next-generation, master-planned, transit-oriented community focused on sustainability. The smart city, to be built near Sixth Line and 20th Sideroad, south of Alcona, is being designed to provide 150,000 residents with everything they need. The region has also been chosen for a pilot to implement a centralized, one-window digital platform to streamline and modernize the residential development approvals process.
AECO Innovation Lab, which is supported by RESCON and organizations in the One Ontario coalition, are delighted that Simcoe County was chosen for the project. We hope that the proof-of-concept pilot will be used as a model for a more streamlined development review process across the province.
The pilot is being funded with $2.35 million from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and will enable us to move forward with a technology solution to remove barriers and streamline pre-construction processes so applications can be processed more quickly to help get housing built faster. AECO collaborated and partnered with regulatory organizations, the county, municipalities, conservation authorities, key agencies, and others to develop a blueprint to implement the platform.
There will be a one-window portal for submission that will allow applicants to submit one set of drawings and documents and be used to communicate the status of the application with the applicant. An intelligent data exchange platform will ensure applications are complete and accessible to relevant staff within municipalities, the county and applicable agencies. The system will be able to track when submissions have been made, documents have been uploaded, or approvals have been granted. A regional development application manager will be used for the county’s workflows, document control, drawing reviews, and other application management tools to track the applications better.
Currently there are no standard processes for development applications and every municipality has different requirements. Up to 45 agencies and groups outside the municipality may also be involved in reviewing, commenting on, or approving an application. Processes for residential projects are presently lengthy and complex which results in delays and increased costs that lead to higher housing prices, lower supply, and fewer affordable housing units. Streamlining the system will make applications easier to process for all parties and provide certainty for developers. Simcoe is ideal for the pilot as the county has a mix of urban, rural, and Indigenous perspectives.
RESCON is backing this initiative because lack of standardized processes makes development applications more complicated and time consuming, resulting in delays that impact housing affordability and supply. Now that CMHC has got the ball rolling, we expect the province and other municipal jurisdictions to join the effort and help move the needle even further.
There is an urgent need for a connected and integrated development approvals system at the regional and provincial level. A 125-unit high-rise, for example, incurs $276,000 in extra costs due to loan-carrying charges, increased municipal charges and inflation for every month of delay, while a 125-home low-rise development incurs $456,000. A more efficient system will reduce those costs and result in municipalities receiving property taxes and other fees from projects earlier. The additional revenues can be spent on initiatives such as creating inclusive places within communities or supporting more affordable housing projects.
Our hope is that the initiative will be expanded to other regions across Ontario and possibly Canada. The housing supply crisis is very real, and we must find ways to speed up the development approvals process. The pilot in Simcoe County will lead the way.
For more information:
Kristen Tam
Marketing and Communications Manager
AECO Innovation Lab
kristen.tam@aecoinnovationlab.com
