Published plans and annual reports 2021-2022: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Ministry Overview

COVID Response

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) is supporting COVID-19 recovery efforts by working with all levels of government to respond to the immediate needs of Ontario’s 444 municipalities, which have faced sharply declining revenue and rising costs. Ongoing collaboration throughout the pandemic and significant investments enabled municipalities to start 2021 on a solid financial footing, keep job-creating infrastructure projects on track and maintain services that people rely on every day. MMAH leads the relationship with local governments and knows they are the backbone of strong communities and will be pivotal in Ontario’s economic recovery.

MMAH is also providing urgent assistance to municipal service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators through the Social Services Relief Fund. Several rounds of funding are helping to protect people’s health, save lives and keep vulnerable people and families safe. With an eye on the future, this funding is also laying the groundwork for longer-term, more sustainable solutions to homelessness long after the pandemic ends.

As vaccines roll out and Ontario turns the corner on the pandemic, the ministry will stay focused on helping to protect and house vulnerable people and building the foundation to support the growth needed for a strong economy.

Ministry Vision

Working with local governments and partners across Ontario to build safe, strong and sustainable urban and rural communities with dynamic local economies, a high quality of life for residents, and homes that meet people’s diverse needs.

The ministry’s programs are at the foundation of Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy.

To protect people’s health, the ministry is leading initiatives that help care for people, including our most vulnerable.

• In Spring 2021, service managers will begin implementing by-name lists to help better connect people experiencing homelessness to the local services and supports they need.
• Historic investments through the Social Services Relief Fund are helping to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and save the lives of people who work in and rely on emergency shelters. This funding is crucial in containing the spread of COVID-19 and is supporting over 6,600 temporary shelter spaces, social distancing in shelters and congregate care settings, Personal Protective Equipment for service providers, people with rent arrears, and capital projects to provide more permanent solutions to homelessness.
• The ministry is closely monitoring COVID-19 in emergency shelters and MMAH-funded congregate supportive housing and has supported service managers to establish outbreak management plans and infection prevention and control practices across 1,000+ congregate care housing facilities.
• Ongoing implementation of Ontario’s multi-year Community Housing Renewal Strategy will help stabilize, repair and grow the province’s Community Housing sector. In partnership with service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators, the ministry will continue delivering programs that help build, create, and renovate community housing, provide homeownership opportunities, and improve housing affordability.
• The ministry led the creation of new/expanded isolation centres under the High Priority Communities Strategy to protect people’s health and give them a safe place to isolate.
• Rent is frozen for the vast majority of residential tenants in 2021 in response to COVID-19. MMAH is monitoring the ability of households to cover their housing costs and encouraging commercial and residential tenants and landlords to work together as Ontario looks forward to turning the corner on the pandemic and economic recovery taking hold.

To protect our economy the ministry is leading initiatives to support families, workers and employers:

• Leading government-wide efforts to support Ontario’s municipalities, who are on the front lines of managing COVID-19. The historic Safe Restart Agreement funding enabled municipalities to maintain critical services and enter 2021 on a strong financial footing. An additional $500M provincial investment is ensuring they can weather the storm in 2021 without deferring job-creating capital investments.
• Helping municipalities become more efficient and reduce expenditure growth through the Municipal Modernization Program and the Audit and Accountability Fund.
• Modernizing elections processes and reducing barriers to participation in local elections through amendments to the Municipal Elections Act and supporting the implementation of a single register of electors.
• Consulting with the municipal sector on how to strengthen accountability for council members to ensure they maintain a safe and respectful workplace and carry out their duties ethically and responsibly.
• Implementing a provincial off-peak delivery noise regulation framework to support the efficient movement of goods across the province.
• Working across government and with all community, local and industry partners to encourage housing innovation and increase the supply and mix of housing that meets people’s needs and budget.
• Leveraging Minister’s Zoning Orders and Provincially Significant Employment Zones to support provincial priorities and promote economic development, job creation and investment.
• Growing the Greenbelt – following consultation the government will take action to protect more of the province's natural environment for future generations. This could result in the largest expansion since the Greenbelt was created in 2005.
• Developing the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code to enhance the alignment with the National Construction Codes and further reduce trade barriers, without compromising the province’s high standards.
• Delivering the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians and Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance programs to help people and municipalities recover after a natural disaster.
• Extending by two-years the ‘Build Back Better’ pilot project to incent eligible municipalities to improve infrastructure damaged in a natural disaster so it is more resilient to future extreme weather.
• Giving municipalities, conservation authorities and others access to federal funding for flood mapping and mitigation projects to help reduce Ontario’s flood risk by administering the National Disaster Mitigation Program in Ontario.
• Supporting development of a new low-cost national flood insurance program and national action plan on relocation to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding by engaging in federal/provincial/territorial discussions.
• Supporting More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan (HSAP) by helping municipalities and partners implement the 2020 Provincial Policy Statement and new community benefits charge regime that supports the development of affordable housing and business investment.
• Working across ministries on how to accelerate industrial and manufacturing development approvals and permitting to support economic recovery, attract investment and create jobs.

Mandate

The goals of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing are to provide leadership to help ensure communities are served by strong, efficient local governments and that all Ontarians have access to housing that meets their needs. To achieve this, the ministry: develops, coordinates and implements Ontario government policies and programs that support municipalities; manages the provincial-municipal relationship with municipal stakeholders including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the City of Toronto as well as provincial-business relationships with key growth partners; and supports Ontario’s federal-provincial-municipal relationships.

The ministry also develops and administers policies and programs in support of: municipal administration, governance and finance; infrastructure improvement; municipal and provincial land use planning; growth management; building regulation; community and market housing. This includes, residential and commercial tenancy regulation, homelessness prevention, and housing programs. The ministry also administers disaster financial assistance to eligible communities and individuals.

The policies and programs of the ministry support the response to and recovery from COVID-19.

Ministry Programs

The ministry is responsible for the following programs:

Municipal Finance and Governance

This program supports local governments so that local services and infrastructure are effective and have a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of the people of Ontario.

Through this program, the ministry provides a legislative, regulatory and programmatic framework to build municipal capacity. This program also enables municipal partners to create prosperous and financially sustainable communities, so they are able to invest in infrastructure and deliver services. The ministry works directly with municipalities, municipal associations and other partners on initiatives that impact municipalities to ensure a strong relationship between the province and municipalities as well as to ensure the municipal perspective and impacts are understood and inform the province’s work.

The ministry will continue to support municipalities and stakeholders in response to COVID-19. Actions previously taken can be found in the Part I Appendix (2020-21 Annual Report).

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Municipal Finance and Governance program:

• Continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on municipalities and make recommendations to the government about policy and program initiatives to support recovery.
• Support continued delivery of important local services for Ontario’s residents and businesses through payment of $500 million in Provincial COVID-19 Recovery Funding for Municipalities.
• Continue actively engaging municipalities through the Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Toronto-Ontario Cooperation and Consultation Agreement, hosting discussions with Heads of Council across Ontario and participating in municipal association meetings. The Ministry also co-leads a Provincial-Municipal Technical Working Group on COVID-19 with AMO and the City of Toronto to facilitate discussions between partner ministries and the municipal sector on emergent issues.
• Support the implementation of the new development charges and community benefits charge framework, which is designed to assist in the development of affordable housing and business investment. Continue leading the government-wide effort to reduce the municipal reporting burden and red tape, including repealing outdated legislation such as the Statute Labour Act.
• Implement a provincial off-peak delivery noise regulation framework as part of the government’s broader efforts led by the Minister of Transportation to support the efficient movement of goods across the province.
• Modernize elections processes and reduce barriers to participation in local elections through amendments to the Municipal Elections Act and supporting the Chief Electoral Officer and inter-ministerial partners to implement a single register of electors.
• Consult with the municipal sector on opportunities to strengthen accountability for council members to ensure that councilors and heads of council maintain a safe and respectful workplace and carry out their duties as elected officials in an ethical and responsible manner.
• Encourage and foster collaboration, consultation and engagement between partner ministries and the municipal sector to ensure there is a strong relationship between the province and municipalities. This includes working with and supporting ministries by identifying municipal considerations as they develop and deliver their policies and programs.
• Implement the Municipal Modernization Program and the Audit and Accountability Fund to help municipalities become more efficient and reduce expenditure growth.
• Continue to assess municipal capacity to manage finances and the delivery of services and good governance. Identify those municipalities that require support and deliver targeted and sector-wide capacity building as required.
• Continue to gather data and local intelligence about municipal issues, challenges, and best practices to inform future policy development and program design.
• Connect municipalities to partner ministry programs and tools in order to support local economic recovery and economic development.

Land Use Planning

This program is responsible for the development, monitoring and administration of land use planning systems in Ontario. The provincial land use planning framework has evolved significantly over time and is regularly subject to policy reviews to ensure that it reflects current trends for managing growth, protecting resources, and protecting public health and safety. The framework includes the Planning Act, the Provincial Policy Statement and geographic-specific regulatory policies such as: A Place to Grow, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and the Parkway Belt West Plan (among others).

The land use planning system advances and upholds provincial interests through a policy-led system largely implemented by municipalities through local planning documents (for example, official plans and zoning by-laws), through the ministry’s one-window provincial land use planning approvals service, and through Minister’s Zoning Orders for priority initiatives/projects. The ministry provides a variety of mandatory and discretionary tools to support municipal implementation of the provincial land use planning framework at a local level.

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Land Use Planning program:

• Continue to protect the Greenbelt for future generations through oversight of related legislation and regulations, the Greenbelt Plan and the Greenbelt Council.  This includes consulting on opportunities to grow the Greenbelt in size and quality. Opportunities for growing the Greenbelt include potentially adding lands in a study area around the Paris Galt Moraine (west of the existing Greenbelt) and possible expansions of existing Urban River Valleys or the creation of new Urban River Valleys that would connect the Greenbelt’s protected countryside to the great lakes or major inland waterways.
• Continue to support the Minister in the making of Minister’s Zoning Orders (outside the Greenbelt) for priority provincial-led initiatives and for priority municipal projects.
• Advance and uphold provincial interests and support municipal implementation of land use planning through a variety of legislative tools, and a coordinated inter-ministry one-window planning approach for provincial decisions. This will include increased focus on A Place to Grow official plan conformity exercises leading up to the July 2022 conformity date.
• Continue review of the land use development approvals process to identify and propose streamlining improvements to help bring housing and business investments (for example, industrial and manufacturing) online faster.
• Provide targeted training and technical support for municipal planning staff including guidance and support to implement Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 and changes to the Planning Act.

Growth Planning

This program provides a strategic, long-range, comprehensive and integrated approach to manage growth and build prosperous and sustainable, complete communities.

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Growth Planning program:

• Advance and uphold provincial interests and support municipal implementation of The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (A Place to Grow) through a coordinated inter-ministry planning approach for provincial decision-making on economic development, affordable home ownership and infrastructure planning.
• Lead growth plan conformity monitoring, data collection, and issues management to help ensure that municipalities have the information and tools they need to implement A Place to Grow policies, and that they are on-track to bring their official plans into conformity within the established deadline.
• Protect employment areas in the Greater Golden Horseshoe that are crucial to province’s economy, through identification of provincially significant employment zones, and consult with stakeholders on opportunities to leverage the zones to promote economic development and post-COVID economic recovery.
• Lead stakeholder engagement activities to support implementation of growth management policies and programs.

Building Regulation

This program establishes the policies, technical supports and regulatory system governing the construction, renovation, changes of use and demolition of buildings through administration of the Building Code Act and the Building Code regulation.

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Building Regulation program:

• Develop the next edition of Ontario’s Building Code which will enhance the alignment of the technical requirements with the National Construction Codes, and implement timely adoption, consistent with the commitments made in the Reconciliation Agreement under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. The Reconciliation Agreement was signed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on August 27, 2020.
• Participate in the Federal-Provincial-Territorial work to transform the National Construction Codes system to be nimbler and more responsive to provincial needs.
• Develop technical and guidance material to support consistent implementation of Ontario’s Building Code and priority areas such as housing affordability.
• Continue transforming and modernizing the delivery of building regulatory services by proceeding with key activities to establish a new service delivery model.
• Deliver technical support on the Building Code to the building sector and dispute resolution commissions and building regulatory services (including the qualification and registration of building practitioners and oversees training provided to practitioners by the college sector).

Disaster Recovery Financial Assistance

This program delivers disaster recovery and mitigation transfer payment programs, manages the ministry’s legislated emergency management program and represents Ontario’s interests in discussions on disaster recovery and mitigation funding with federal, provincial and territorial counterparts.

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Disaster Recovery Financial Assistance program:

• Respond to emergencies/disasters and deliver the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians and Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance programs to help people and municipalities recover after a natural disaster.
• Implement a two-year extension to the ‘Build Back Better’ pilot project to provide an incentive to municipalities eligible under the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program to improve infrastructure damaged in a natural disaster to be more resilient to future extreme weather.
• Implement a remote damage assessment tool for floods and tornadoes to better inform activation decisions for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program.
• Administer the National Disaster Mitigation Program in Ontario to provide municipalities, conservation authorities and other eligible recipients access to federal funding for flood mapping and mitigation projects to help reduce Ontario’s flood risk.
• Engage in federal/provincial/territorial discussions to support federal commitments to create a new low-cost national flood insurance program to protect homeowners at high risk of flooding and to support the development of a national action plan to assist homeowners at highest risk of repeat flooding with potential relocation.

Community Housing

This program includes both social and affordable housing, and it supports housing that is owned and operated primarily by non-profit housing corporations, housing co-operatives and municipal governments or district social services administration boards. These providers offer subsidized or low-end-of market rents. Approximately 250,000 households live in social housing and approximately 43,000 households live in affordable rental housing.

The Community Housing Renewal Strategy outlines a provincial plan to work with our partners to stabilize and grow the community housing sector.

A key element of the Community Housing Renewal Strategy are investments through the National Housing Strategy bilateral agreement between Ontario and the federal government which provides more than $5.75 billion over nine years to protect, renew and expand community housing; support Ontario’s priorities related to housing repair, construction and affordability; and deliver direct affordability support to Ontarians who need housing.

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Community Housing program:

• Develop regulations under the Housing Services Act, as part of the multi-year Community Housing Renewal Strategy, to make the community housing system more streamlined and sustainable so that it is there for the people who need it most.
  • New provisions in the legislation will come into force incrementally as regulatory details are developed. This will help give communities and housing providers the time they need to make important business decisions and to plan for implementation.
• Work with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to mutually agree on the next three-year Action Plan under the National Housing Strategy agreement for the period beginning in 2022-23.
• Continue to deliver existing programs that support community housing, including:
  • Community Housing Programs which include payments to service managers under the Canada-Ontario Social Housing Agreement, funding for the Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program, and provincial affordability payments under the Affordable Housing Program, which will continue until 2033.
  • National Housing Strategy Programs which includes working with service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators to deliver the Ontario Priority Housing Initiative and the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative. These initiatives help build, create, and renovate community housing, provide homeownership opportunities, and improve housing affordability. The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is a portable housing benefit that can be accessed by survivors of domestic violence, survivors of human trafficking, persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness, Indigenous persons, seniors, people with disabilities, and households living in community housing.
  • Indigenous and Community Housing Initiatives which includes the Rural and Urban Indigenous Housing Program (RUIHP). RUIHP supports the preservation of existing Rural and Native Housing units and the creation of new units through regular maintenance, repair, renovation and portfolio realignment to continue to help households in need through rent-geared-to-income (RGI) and affordable housing assistance, including housing allowances.

Homelessness

This program includes work with service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators to provide services and supports to help people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness become stably housed or avoid becoming homeless in the first place. These services and supports include emergency shelters, supportive and transitional housing, homelessness prevention such as emergency financial assistance and landlord outreach and mediation, and other services and supports such as street outreach and case management. Annually, this program helps approximately 135,000 people at-risk of homelessness remain housed, helps approximately 27,000 people experiencing homelessness obtain and retain housing, and provides approximately 9,600 households with supportive housing.

COVID-19 Response

Under the Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF), the province has provided $765 million to help service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators support shelters, create longer-term housing solutions and help vulnerable Ontarians affected by COVID-19, including those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

MMAH will continue to work closely with service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators throughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry will continue to offer support through regular communications and meetings, support the homelessness sector and facilitate the acquisition of personal protective equipment when urgently needed.

MMAH will also continue to monitor reports received from service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators regarding COVID-19 cases in emergency shelters and supportive housing facilities, as well as proactively share Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) resources with them, and communicate opportunities to participate in other critical outbreak management initiatives (such as rapid antigen screening).

Actions previously taken can be found in the Part I Appendix (2020-21 Annual Report).

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Homelessness program:

• Continue to help service managers prevent and address homelessness in their communities through the delivery of key ministry programs, including: 
  • Social Services Relief Fund – as part of the $765 million SSRF investment, service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators received $255 million in SSRF funding announced on March 10, 2021 to continue existing supports into 2021. In 2021-22, the ministry will continue to support the homelessness sector to address the negative impact of the pandemic on vulnerable households.
  • Continue to provide funding and supports to select communities as part of the Ministry of Health’s High Priority Communities Strategy to establish and operate isolation facilities to help those in targeted high-priority communities who are unable to isolate safely at home. Jurisdictions were selected due to their high COVID-19 prevalence (current or historical), low testing rates, and sociodemographic barriers to testing and self-isolation.
  • Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative – Annual provincial homelessness funding that gives service managers flexibility to determine how best to help people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, in their communities based on local needs and priorities. The province contributes the greatest share of homelessness funding (compared to federal or municipal governments).
  • Supportive Housing Investments - Home For Good provides provincial housing assistance and support services to help people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Priority populations served include youth, Indigenous people, people experiencing chronic homelessness, and those transitioning from provincial institutions such as correctional facilities and hospitals. The Indigenous Supportive Housing Program is specifically designed to be administered by Indigenous organizations. This program helps Indigenous people experiencing homelessness to access housing assistance and supports to become stably housed.
  • Providing housing and support for homeless, low- and moderate-income people living with mental health and addictions challenges through the Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System.
• Implement Province-Wide By-Name Lists and Enumeration:
  • The ministry is requiring service managers to implement by-name lists across Ontario beginning in April 2021 and to implement a province-wide enumeration using a Point-in-Time Count approach in 2021.
  • By-name lists provide real-time data about people experiencing homelessness in their communities and their needs. By-name lists help to prioritize and connect people to housing services and supports in their area and provide a foundation for creating coordinated access to services and track local homelessness and changes over time.
  • A Point-in-Time Count captures numbers and basic demographics of people experiencing homelessness at a single point in time, to better understand the scope of homelessness.
  • The ministry will continue its collaboration with stakeholders to identify effective techniques and support implementation of by-name lists and Point-in-Time Counts by service managers.
• In the 2019 provincial budget, the government committed to reviewing Ontario’s supportive housing programs to identify opportunities to streamline and improve coordination so that people get the help they need. The ministry has completed an engagement process to support this review and is developing options for the government to consider that will make supportive housing work better for people.

Market Housing

This program develops policies, programs and initiatives to support the availability of a wide mix of market rental and ownership housing. It provides leadership and works across government to support the development of evidence-based market housing policy and programs.

The program also sets the legislative and policy framework for both residential and commercial landlords and tenants through the:

• Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), which governs rental housing in Ontario and sets rules in areas such as rent, security of tenure and the adjudication of disputes. This includes the ministry’s provision of investigation and enforcement services for alleged offences under the RTA through the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit; and,
• Commercial Tenancies Act (CTA), which sets out basic rules for commercial tenancies to enable businesses to operate effectively.

COVID-19 Response

The ministry will continue supporting landlords and tenants with respect to rental housing laws, encouraging landlords and tenants to work together and to be as flexible as possible, and monitoring the health of the rental and ownership housing markets in response to COVID-19. This includes exploring, coordinating and supporting MMAH and cross-ministry efforts to support housing market recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (as needed) while continuing to monitor the ability of households to cover their housing costs and anticipate future needs / stresses.

As well, the ministry will continue to support commercial landlords and tenants to help maintain their financial viability and will actively monitor initiatives led by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and the federal government that support businesses. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing commercial eviction ban on commercial tenants and landlords will be monitored, and MMAH will continue to work with other ministries to support the recovery of businesses.

Actions previously taken can be found in the Part I Appendix (2020-21 Annual Report).

In 2021-22, the ministry plans to undertake the following key activities in the Market Housing program:

• Lead exploration and development of next steps (following the Housing Supply Action Plan) to increase housing supply and affordability.
• Develop guides on innovative housing options including shared equity arrangements, laneway housing and modular/prefabricated homes.
• Collaborate with partner ministries to leverage the value of surplus provincial lands for priority housing outcomes (for example, more market and affordable housing).
• Continue providing policy and legislative oversight of the RTA, including to:
  • Implement changes already made to the Act through the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act by:
    • Developing, in consultation with stakeholders, regulations governing rent rules specific to land lease communities and mobile home parks.
    • Raising awareness of the updated Standard Form of Lease that was effective as of March 1, 2021 and updating the accompanying multi-lingual guide.
    • Working with MAG and the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to proclaim outstanding amendments to the RTA.
  • Calculate and publish the 2022 rent increase guideline;
  • Facilitate public education about the RTA to promote awareness of rent rules, the adjudication process and tenant/landlord rights and obligations, as well as to enhance compliance and enforcement; and,
  • Monitor the impacts of COVID-19 related changes, including the 2021 rent freeze, the emergency order that paused residential evictions enforcement and the ongoing recovery of LTB operations.
• Provide leadership, work with other ministries and participate in working groups across the government to conduct housing market research and analysis, and coordinate and support the development of evidence-based market housing policy and program developments.
• Further development of the Housing and Homelessness Business Intelligence Data Portal, with the goal to launch access to service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators.

2021-22 Strategic Plan

The ministry is delivering on an ambitious mandate that will protect people’s health, including Ontario’s most vulnerable; promote economic development for strong, healthy rural and urban communities, the efficient use of land and a clean and healthy natural environment.MMAH will help deliver better public services at the provincial, regional and municipal levels of government; help make life more affordable by increasing the housing supply, including near transit; and take bold action to get shovels in the ground faster and keep job-creating projects on track.

Housing and Homelessness

Through several rounds of targeted funding through the Social Services Relief Fund, MMAH is helping to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 and save the lives of people who work in and rely on emergency shelters. This funding has helped to contain the spread of COVID-19 and is supporting over 6,400 temporary shelter spaces, social distancing in shelters and congregate care settings, Personal Protective Equipment for service providers, people with rent arrears, and capital projects to provide more permanent solutions to homelessness.

Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act are in place to encourage a rental housing system that is safe and fair for both tenants and landlords. Residential rent for the vast majority of tenants is frozen in 2021 in recognition of the significant impact of COVID-19 because stable housing is central to protecting people’s health during the pandemic.

The ministry is implementing More Homes, More Choice, the government’s comprehensive plan to increase the supply and mix of housing, which removes barriers and encourages innovation to increase the supply and mix of housing needed for a growing population and strong economic recovery.

MMAH is collaborating with partner ministries to leverage the value of surplus provincial lands for priorities like affordable housing and long-term care facilities. The ministry will continue to accelerate the building of long-term care with the new, enhanced Minister’s Zoning Order authority.

The ministry’s Community Housing program develops and manages legislative, regulatory and policy approaches and works with partners to support affordable housing for people who have difficulty finding housing in the private market. Our multi-year Community Housing Renewal Strategy is on track to help stabilize, repair and grow Ontario’s Community Housing sector.

Investments continue that allow local service managers to offer an array of services and supports that meet the local needs and protect people’s health who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This includes flexible funding through the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative, Home for Good and Indigenous Supportive Housing programs.

In 2021, the ministry is requiring service managers to implement by-name lists across Ontario. By-name lists provide real-time data about people experiencing homelessness in their communities and their needs. This will help better connect people to local supports and services as well as lay the foundation for better coordination and tracking of service needs over time.

In the 2019 provincial budget, the government committed to reviewing Ontario’s supportive housing programs to identify opportunities to streamline and improve coordination so that people get the help they need. The ministry has completed an engagement process to support this review and is developing options for the government to consider that will make supportive housing work better for people.

Growing the Greenbelt

Ontario’s Greenbelt is a broad band of protected land that currently includes over 800,000 hectares of land in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The government is committed to protecting it for future generations and is consulting provincewide on how to enhance and grow the Greenbelt.

The goal is to protect more of the province's natural environment — including farmlands, forests, wetlands and watersheds — from future development. The initial consultations focus on the Paris Galt Moraine and expanding and further protecting urban river valleys could result in the largest expansion of the Greenbelt since its creation in 2005.

Supporting Jobs and Strong Communities

Ontario's 444 municipalities are key partners in the fight to respond to COVID-19, and the government has provided additional financial relief in 2021 to help them preserve vital public services and support economic recovery. This will ensure every region and community can emerge from the pandemic positioned to supportthe economic growth that is necessary for job creation, prosperity and a stronger province.

MMAH is also leading strategic regional and province-wide growth management projects to further provincial goals, including economic development, infrastructure planning and job creation.  The Provincial Policy Statement came into effect on May 1, 2020 and creates a more competitive business environment. By designating and protecting employment zones in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the ministry is ensuring these lands can be leveraged to support economic development and post-COVID economic recovery.  Key land use planning guidance is being developed and updated to help municipalities plan for anticipated growth and development and to encourage streamlining of municipal approvals.

Municipalities have been clear that the province asks them for too many reports. MMAH is at the forefront of the government-wide effort to reduce the municipal reporting burden and red tape, including repealing outdated legislation such as the Statute Labour Act.

Detailed Financial Information

Chart 1: Investment by Vote 2021-22

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)

There are five provincial agencies that currently report to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (note: The Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation was dissolved in 2020-21):

Building Code Commission

The Building Code Commission (BCC) is an adjudicative agency that resolves disputes on the technical requirements of Ontario’s Building Code. All administrative and technical support to the BCC is provided by ministry staff. The operating expenses for this commission are paid out of the Municipal Services and Building Regulation (Vote 1902).

Building Materials Evaluation Commission

The Building Materials Evaluation Commission (BMEC) is a regulatory agency that evaluates and authorizes innovative construction materials, systems or building designs where no criteria are set out in Ontario’s Building Code. All administrative and technical support to the BMEC is provided by ministry staff. Operating expenses for this commission are paid out of the Municipal Services and Building Regulation (Vote 1902).

Greenbelt Council

The Greenbelt Council is an advisory agency, established under the Greenbelt Act, and provides the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing with advice on the Greenbelt.

The mandate and membership of the Greenbelt Council was expanded, effective March 2018, to include providing advice to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on land use planning matters within and adjacent to the area defined as the Greenbelt Plan. This includes the implementation of A Place to Grow and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, including performance measures, the 10-year review, land use planning and public education and outreach, in order to ensure the objectives of the Greenbelt Plan are met.

Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation

The Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation (the “Trust”) is a board-governed agency that manages the sale of houses and associated land leases of approximately 262 properties on provincially owned lands, and the maintenance and use of six community buildings for the benefit of the Toronto Islands residents and the public. The provincially owned lands are on Ward’s and Algonquin Islands (part of the Toronto Islands).

The Trust does not receive any funding from the province and is self-sustaining through revenue generated from an annual levy charged to each Island leaseholder, rental income on the community buildings and administrative fees. The Trust’s accounts are separate from those of the ministry and the province. The Trust is responsible for managing its own financial matters, including the completion of an annual financial audit. The audited financial statement is published with its annual report. The members of the Trust’s Board of Directors are not remunerated for their service to the Trust.

Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation (Dissolved in 2020-21)

In response to a recommendation from the Agency Review Task Force contained in the 2019 Ontario Budget, the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation was dissolved in 2020-21 and the activities and obligations of the agency were taken on as a ministry function by MMAH. The change provides more effective and efficient use of ministry resources while retaining financial accountability and service delivery to the public.

Provincial Land and Development Facilitator

The Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator is an advisory agency that is established under the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act. The Provincial Land and Development Facilitator helps the province, municipalities, developers, businesses and community groups resolve issues related to growth management, land use and infrastructure planning, and environmental protection by providing impartial facilitation services or by acting as a negotiator on behalf of the province.

All administrative and technical support to the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator is provided by ministry staff. The operating expenses for this agency are paid out of Local Government and Planning Policy (Vote/Item 1903-07).

Notes:

1. Expenditures include appointee remuneration on a per diem basis as authorized in an Order-in-Council and reimbursement for any travel and accommodation costs related to meetings and advisory activities in accordance with the Management Board of Cabinet Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive.
2. The agency does not generate revenue or charge fees.
3. The agency was operational starting October 1, 2020.  Therefore, interim expenditure actuals are for the period October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

Ministry Organization Chart

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Organizational Chart

This is a text version of an organizational chart for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as of 06 April 2021. The chart shows the hierarchical structure of the organization with the top level assigned to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

• Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark
  • Parliamentary Assistant, Housing Parm Gill
  • Parliamentary Assistant, Municipal Affairs Jim McDonnell
  • List of Council, Commission and Corporations
    • Ontario Mortgage & Housing Corporation
    • Building Code Commission
    • Building Materials Evaluation Commission
    • Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation
    • Greenbelt Council
    • Provincial Land and Development Facilitator
  • Deputy Minister Kate Manson-Smith
    • Executive Assistant - Ruchi Parkash (A)
    • Municipal Services Division - Hannah Evans, ADM
      • Municipal Services Offi­ce Central Region - Laurie Miller, Regional Director (A)
      • Municipal Services O­ffice Western Region - Ian Kerr, Regional Director
      • Municipal Services O­ffice Northern Region - Bridget Schulte-Hostedde, Regional Director
      • Municipal Services O­ffice Eastern Region - Allan Scott, Regional Director
      • Municipal Programs and Analytics Branch - Helen Collins, Director (A)
      • Building and Development Branch - Mansoor Mahmood, Director
      • Legislative and Regulatory Implementation - Aly Alibhai, Director (A)
    • Local Government and Planning Policy Division - Jonathan Lebi, ADM
      • Municipal Finance Policy Branch - Caspar Hall, Director
      • Intergovernmental Relations and Partnerships Branch - Ewa Downarowicz, Director
      • Local Government Policy Branch - Tanzeel Merchant, Director
      • Provincial Planning Policy Branch - Sean Fraser, Director (A)
    • Business Management Division - Joanne Davies, CAO/ADM
      • Corporate Services Branch - Jason Arandjelovic, Director (A)
      • Controllership and Financial Planning Branch - Amanda Lui, Director (A)
      • Human Resources Strategies Branch - Suzana Ristich, Director
      • Community Services Audit Service Team - Gord Nowlan, Director ^{footnote 13[13]} (A)
    • Housing Division - Joshua Paul, ADM
      • Community Housing Policy Branch - Peter Kiatipis, Director
      • Housing Programs Branch - Jim Adams, Director
      • Market Housing Policy Branch - Darren Cooney, Director (A)
      • Finance, Analysis and Accountability Branch - Keley Katona, Director (A)
    • Communications Branch - Linda Hawke, Director ^{footnote 14[14]}
    • Legal Services Branch - Jeff Schelling, Director ^{footnote 15[15]}
      • Legal Services Branch - Marcia Taggart, Deputy Director
    • Ontario Growth Secretariat - Sandra Bickford, ADM (A)
      • Growth Management Program Policy, Planning, Analysis and Delivery Branch - Damian Dupuy, Director (A)
      • Growth Management Strategic Policy, Innovation and Partnerships Branch - Vacant
    • Community Services I&IT Cluster - Soussan Tabari, CIO/ADM ^{footnote 16[16]}
      • Strategic Planning and Business Relationship Management - Aleli Gulak, Director (A)
      • Case and Grant Management Solutions - Sanaul Haque, Director
      • Data Collection and Decision Support Solutions - Carm Scarfo, Director
      • iACCESS Solutions - Farshad Mahlooji, Director

Appendix: 2020-21 Annual Report

Ministry’s Achievements in 2020-21

Municipal Finance and Governance

Strengthened Relationship with Municipalities

In 2020-21, the ministry delivered a historic amount of funding to the municipal sector. Under the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement (SRA) and provincial municipal operating supports, nearly two billion dollars was provided to Ontario’s 444 municipalities.

Under the SRA, the ministry provided $1.39 billion to municipalities in flexible funding to address municipalities’ highest priority COVID-19 related operating needs. Funding was administered in two phases. Phase 1 provided immediate support to all 444 municipalities based on a per household formula, with allocations announced in August 2020. Phase 2 provided a combination of application-based and formula-driven funding, with allocations announced in December 2020. This funding enabled Ontario’s municipalities to maintain the local services their residents and businesses depend on and enter 2021 on a strong financial footing.

The ministry delivered an additional $500 million in new provincial funding support announced in March 2021 to Ontario municipalities to assist with 2021 COVID-19 municipal operating needs. This funding was provided to all 444 municipalities and was formula-driven.

The ministry continued to work closely with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the City of Toronto, which have been important partners in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the joint Memorandum of Understanding, the ministry engages with AMO on initiatives that impact municipalities. In the past year of reporting, a record of 16 formal meetings were held with AMO under the Memorandum of Understanding covering over 70 agenda items. The ministry also facilitated over 20 Provincial-Municipal Technical Working Group meetings on COVID-19 emerging issues with AMO and the City of Toronto.  During the first virtual AMO Conference in 2020, the ministry pivoted to virtual delegation meetings with municipalities, coordinating approximately 500 delegations with Ministers and parliamentary assistants from 22 ministries. The ministry coordinated a further 324 municipal delegation meetings at the Rural Ontario Municipal Conference in February 2021. MMAH also facilitated more than 50 meetings between the province and the City of Toronto to discuss initiatives with potential impacts to the City under the Toronto-Ontario Cooperation and Consultation Agreement (TOCCA).

In 2020-21, the ministry also continued to implement two programs, the Audit and Accountability Fund and the Municipal Modernization Program, to help municipalities find efficiencies, reduce costs and improve services. Most of the projects approved under the Audit and Accountability Fund this year related to the three priorities identified for this intake: digital modernization, streamlining development approvals and service integration. These projects are expected to help Ontario’s large municipalities find efficiencies that can be implemented as part of the 2022 municipal budget cycle. The ministry monitored 184 projects funded under the Municipal Modernization Program for completion in 2020-21. The ministry also launched an intake with the Municipal Modernization Program with a new program design that offers funding under two streams: third-party reviews and implementation projects.

Supported Municipalities in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 19, 2020 the Ontario government took unprecedented action to respond to COVID-19 by convening an emergency sitting of the legislature and passing legislation which is helping to keep store shelves stocked and giving municipal councils flexibility to continue council operations while maintaining social distancing.

The Municipal Emergency Act enabled regulatory changes that help ensure the delivery of goods to Ontario's businesses and consumers isn't hindered by municipal noise by-laws when they are most urgently needed. The legislation also empowers municipal partners to respond quickly to emergency situations by enabling them to conduct council, local board and committee meetings electronically.

The government also introduced measures to temporarily limit local noise by-laws to help allow essential construction projects and services related to health care to proceed at any time of the day. Local noise by-laws are also limited with respect to other essential construction projects from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. These measures will help ensure that important health care related projects, like the expansion of hospitals, are completed during the pandemic. It will also help speed up the building of new facilities needed to provide health services in response to COVID-19. The changes will also support public health outcomes through social distancing by helping to enable staggered shifts which may reduce the number of workers on a site at any given time.

The government responded to the immediate needs of municipalities with expiring development charge by-laws by introducing measures under the Development Charges Act to enable these municipalities during the emergency period to continue to collect these revenues to support the development of local infrastructure that is important for new growth.

The government also made regulatory changes to provide municipalities with flexibility with respect to work redeployment and staffing, allowing them to ensure frontline services can continue to be delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes provide municipalities with the flexibility to deploy staff within their organization to assist the continuation of providing critical frontline services for Ontario residents and businesses. The ability to address staffing shortages quickly by redeploying staff was and is critical to the continuity of local operations and responding to unforeseen circumstances in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially as municipalities and public health units play a key role in vaccinating Ontarians.

Through the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act (Bill 197) the government provided sustainable supports to ensure municipalities have the tools they need as they work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes instituted through this Act include making permanent changes to allow electronic council meetings and allowing proxy voting at municipal council meetings. The Act also made amendments to development charges, parkland dedication, a new Community Benefits Charge (CBC) and Enhanced Minister’s Zoning Order-making powers relating to specified lands. These changes strengthen communities by ensuring municipalities are equipped with the tools they need to continue to provide the critical services people rely on every day

Further supportive changes through the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act established a single register of electors for both provincial and municipal elections. A single register is expected to be more accurate, could mean fewer corrections for voters at polling stations, fewer delays for people on election day, and may reduce costs for municipalities. The Chief Electoral Officer will manage the single register of electors and ensure it is in place for January 1, 2024.

MMAH has supported the Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development in leading the implementation of an education, compliance, and enforcement initiative as part of the Ontario’s COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open.  MMAH has assessed the bylaw enforcement capacity of all municipalities and led communication with local bylaw enforcement and senior municipal staff on enforcement efforts and changes to Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and Reopening Ontario Act orders.

MMAH has collected and tracked detailed information related to municipal impacts from COVID to support policy and program development and provided consistent, timely information to all municipalities on COVID response and government decisions, policies and programs. For example, twelve webinars were offered on Bill 197 reaching more than 1,000 municipal staff.

Continued Efforts Implement the Repeal the Statute Labour Act

The outdated and seldom used Statute Labour Act was repealed in 2019. The ministry helped to reduce municipal burdens and allow communities in unorganized territories relying on this legacy framework to modernize their road maintenance management. Today there are modern, tax-based alternatives to fund public works, such as local roads boards under the Local Roads Boards Act. The Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing continue to assist any remaining local areas to transition to a more modern approach to road maintenance.

Land Use Planning

Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, and Development Charges Consultations

The ministry undertook a review and consultation on the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) in 2019-20. Incorporating important feedback from municipalities, stakeholders and Indigenous communities and organizations, the new PPS came into effect on May 1, 2020.

The PPS, 2020 is part of the government’s plan to build healthier, safer communities, make life more affordable and create a more competitive business environment. It does this while continuing to protect the environment, including the Greenbelt, for future generations. The PPS, 2020 has new policies across five themes:

1. Increasing Housing Supply and Mix
2. Protecting the Environment and Public Safety
3. Reducing Barriers and Costs
4. Supporting Rural, Northern and Indigenous Communities
5. Supporting Certainty and Economic Growth

Legislative and Policy Changes

• A number of changes to the Planning Act and other legislation under the Ministry’s jurisdiction were undertaken in 2020-21 to support government priorities.
  • To mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, legislative amendments to the Planning Act were made to respond to municipal concerns about planning decisions and timelines. The Minister used that authority to suspend municipal decision-making timelines under the Planning Act, Development Charges Act and the City of Toronto Act between March 17 and June 22, 2020.
  • In response to municipal requests, an Emergency Order was filed on July 2, 2020 which created temporary exemptions to certain Planning Act requirements to allow municipalities to quickly pass by-laws authorizing new or expanded bar and restaurant patios. This order remains in effect to enable municipalities to support their local economies while facilitating appropriate physical distancing of restaurant and bar patrons.
  • In July 2020, the Planning Act was amended to provide the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing enhanced authority when making Minister’s Zoning Orders to remove municipal use of site plan control, to require agreements between municipalities and proponents concerning site plan matters, to require inclusionary zoning (affordable housing requirements), and to amend enhanced Minister’s Zoning Orders without being required to first give public notice. The changes are intended to support the delivery of transit-related development, affordable housing, and strategic economic recovery projects by removing potential barriers and approval delays.
  • Changes to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act permanently established the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator (PLDF). The changes ensure the PLDF will be able to continue to provide objective, confidential and independent advice and make recommendations to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to resolve complex challenges on priority projects, unlock and accelerate development, increase housing supply and create jobs.
  • Through Bill 213, the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act a number of legislative changes were made to address issues of clarity and administrative burden with the subdivision control provisions of the Planning Act.
  • On February 17, 2021 the Ministry launched a 61-day consultation on growing the Greenbelt with a focus on a study area around the Paris Galt Moraine and the possibility of expanding existing and/or creating new Urban River Valleys. This consultation builds on the commitment to expand size and enhance the quality of the Greenbelt signaled in the 2020 and 2021 budgets.

Land Use Planning - Operational

Throughout 2020-21, the ministry worked with inter-ministerial partners and municipalities to implement and uphold matters of provincial interest and provincial land use planning policy, including the Provincial Policy Statement and the four major provincial land use plans — the Greenbelt Plan, Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (A Place to Grow), the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

This past year, the ministry supported the making of 39 Minister’s Zoning Orders to accelerate critical priority projects that will enable more long-term care beds, increase the availability of affordable and seniors' housing, and facilitate municipal economic development opportunities such as manufacturing, retail complexes, and tourism-based development.

The ministry approved new official plans and official plan amendments for a number of upper-tier and single-tier municipalities across Ontario reflecting both local and provincial land-use planning priorities. These new official plans assist in facilitating strong communities, a safe and healthy environment and economic growth.

In a continued effort to support local autonomy in land-use planning decision making, the ministry granted certain municipalities across the province “exemption” from the requirement for ministry approval of its official plan amendments.

Growth Planning

Growth Planning Amendment 1

The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019 (A Place to Grow) was introduced as part of the More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan (HSAP) in May 2019. A Place to Grow addresses the needs of the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s growing population, diversity, people and its local priorities. A Place to Grow also aims to increase housing supply at a faster rate, attract new investments and jobs, maximize transit investments, and protect important environmental, employment and agricultural assets. In August 2020, A Place to Grow was amended to:

• Extend the horizon of the Plan from the current horizon of 2041 to 2051.
• Update the growth forecast and permit municipalities to use forecasts that are higher than those included in the updated forecast.
• Strengthen direction on Indigenous engagement by requiring municipalities to co-ordinate planning matters with potentially affected Indigenous communities.
• Enable municipalities to consider employment area conversions to non-employment uses within Major Transit Station Areas to support residential and mixed-use developments close to transit infrastructure.

In addition to policy changes to the Plan, a new land needs assessment methodology for determining the amount of land needed to accommodate forecasted population and employment growth was also introduced. The new methodology includes a requirement for municipalities to consider ‘market-demand’ across all housing market segments and employment types.

Stakeholder Forums/Consultations

In June 2020, the ministry initiated a 45-day public consultation for a suite of proposed changes to A Place to Grow on the Environmental Registry of Ontario and the Regulatory Registry. In response, the ministry received 384 written submissions from individuals and organizations representing a broad spectrum of sectors and received over six thousand individual letters.

Additionally, engagement meetings were held with Chief Planners for all single- and upper-tier municipalities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe to solicit input on the proposed changes to A Place to Grow and to provide support for their work achieving conformity with the Plan.

Indigenous Partnership Building

The ministry engaged directly with a number of Indigenous communities/organizations that have treaty or traditional territory within the Greater Golden Horseshoe to discuss land use planning and the proposed amendments to A Place to Grow and provide input to the Plan.

Building Regulation

Harmonization of Construction Codes

Building Code amendments which came into effect on January 1, 2020 increased alignment with the technical requirements in the 2015 National Construction Codes in the areas of:

• Fire safety measures, including fire prevention and early detection and warning systems;
• Structural sufficiency of buildings to withstand external forces and improve their resilience;
• Public health and safety requirements; and,
• Accessibility requirements tor barrier free access.

The ministry contributed to the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table, under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, and finalized the cross-country Reconciliation Agreement to increase the ongoing harmonization of provincial construction codes with National Construction Codes. The historic Reconciliation Agreement was signed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on August 27, 2020.

The ministry continued to work with the National Research Council and other provinces and territories on the implementation of the Agreement and transformation of the national system.

Responding to COVID-19 and Supporting the Construction Industry

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry responded to emerging issues through legislative and regulative changes, and emergency orders:

• An Emergency Order was made to exempt the construction and conversion of buildings intended for temporary use as health and shelter facilities during the period of the COVID-19 Emergency Order, from the Building Code Act and the Building Code.
• The Building Code was amended to ensure that building inspections continue and building permits are issued within prescribed timeframes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• MMAH also supported the government’s implementation of the Essential Business List (O. Reg. 82/20) during the various stages of closing and reopening of construction throughout the year.

The ministry held five stakeholder webinars to support the construction industry’s understanding of changes to the Essential Business List and the impact of Emergency Orders on the sector.

In addition, MMAH maintained its service level commitments to provide technical support to the construction sector.

The BCC and BMEC were able to maintain their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic by modernizing their processes to allow for virtual hearings and meetings and accepting digital application submissions.

Building Code Act Amendments

In support of commitments made in the Reconciliation Agreement, MMAH amended the Building Code Act to convert regulations under the Building Code to Minister’s regulations. This will ensure provisions in future editions of the National Construction Codes can be adopted in a timely and efficient manner.

To provide better, modern and timely services and resources to the building industry sector, the Building Code Act was amended on July 22, 2020 to enable a new service delivery model for the delivery of building regulatory services.

Other Building Code Amendments

Consequential amendments were made to the Building Code in September and December 2020 to the applicable law sections of the Code to support the implementation of community benefit charges and to prepare for transit-related initiatives under the Building Transit Faster Act. Housekeeping changes were also made to correct errors and omissions, and revoke spent provisions.

Guidance

The ministry has initiated work to develop a new set of housing innovation guides to support and assist the implementation and delivery of the government’s Housing Supply Action Plan (HSAP). These include a Laneway Housing Guide and a Modular/Prefabricated Housing Guide. The guides will provide information on these innovative housing options and are intended to help increase housing and support Ontario’s economic recovery.

Disaster Recovery Financial Assistance

Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians Program

The Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program helps homeowners, tenants, small owner-operated businesses and farms, and not-for-profit organizations get back on their feet after a natural disaster. The program helps eligible applicants cover emergency expenses, return their homes to a safe and habitable condition and get small businesses up and running again.

In 2020-21, the ministry administered applications from 15 disaster events. In total, the ministry issued almost 400 decisions to applicants (including interim payments, final payments and decline notices), made payments totalling $6.2 million to eligible applicants, and closed over 160 applications. There were no new activations of the program in 2020-21.

Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance Program

The Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program provides financial assistance to municipalities affected by natural disasters for emergency response and repair or replacement of damaged municipal infrastructure. The program was activated five times in 2020-21:

1. Machin (July 2019 flood) - provincial funding up to $95,000
2. Machin (September 2019 flood) - provincial funding up to $78,000
3. Hilliard (October 2019 landslide) - provincial funding up to $498,000
4. Haldimand County (October 2019 flood/windstorm) - provincial funding up to $4,570,000
5. Red Lake (August 2020 forest fire) - provincial funding up to $578,080

The ministry continued to administer 26 claims activated for 2019 Spring flooding and one claim activated in 2017, making payments totalling $6.86 million under the claims in 2020-21.

The ministry also completed a review of the initial one-year ‘Build Back Better’ pilot initiative under the program and launched a 2-year extension to gather additional data about the value-for-money of offering municipalities an incentive to improve infrastructure damaged in a natural disaster to make it more resilient to future extreme weather events.

National Disaster Mitigation Program

The National Disaster Mitigation Program is a federal program that offers funding for flood mapping and flood mitigation projects. The ministry administers the program in Ontario and flows federal funding for projects through to municipalities, conservation authorities and other eligible recipients.

In 2020-21, the ministry continued to administer funding for 189 projects approved for approximately $40 million in federal funding over the first five years of the program (2016-2020). After the federal government announced an extension to the program in 2020-21, the ministry launched another intake and submitted 88 new Ontario projects for federal funding consideration.

Ministry Emergency Management Program

Under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, all ministries are required to maintain an emergency management program to ensure the Ontario government is ready to respond when emergencies and disasters occur. The ministry maintains a strong program, focused on the ministry’s Order-in-Council responsibility to plan for emergencies that require coordination of extraordinary provincial expenditures, including provision of disaster financial assistance.

In 2020-21, the ministry activated its Ministry Action Group to direct the ministry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and updated its Ministry Emergency Response Plan to reflect initial lessons learned. The ministry completed all legislated requirements for the 2020 calendar year and expects its program to be assessed as fully compliant.

Community Housing

Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act

On July 22, 2020, the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act received Royal Assent.

The Act contains amendments to the Housing Services Act that are part of the government’s Community Housing Renewal Strategy – a multi-year strategy to stabilize and grow Ontario’s community housing sector.

Amendments to the Housing Services Act are broad and enabling and are intended to provide a streamlined legislative framework for community housing that will incent non-profit and cooperative housing providers to stay in the housing system once their original agreements and mortgages end, and make it easier for service managers and housing providers to meet the housing needs of their communities.

The ministry is currently working with sector partners to develop the details in regulations on how the new legislative provisions will work on the ground.

Launching the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit

The ministry signed an addendum to the bilateral agreement with the federal government on the National Housing Strategy that includes the mutually agreed-upon program design parameters for the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) program.

As of March 2021, over 7,400 households have been approved for monthly housing benefits under the COHB program since April 1, 2020. The ministry expects over 40,000 households will be assisted by 2027-28 under the COHB.

Investments provided to Service Managers and Indigenous Housing Providers

In 2020-21, the ministry provided approximately $328.9 million in capital and operating investments to community housing through service managers and Indigenous housing providers under the Canada-Ontario Social Housing Agreement, the Strong Communities Rent Supplement Program, and ongoing affordability payments under the Affordable Housing Program.

The ministry also provided approximately $189.2 million in capital and operating funding to service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators under the National Housing Strategy programs.

Implementing Simplified Rent-Geared-to-Income Calculation

Regulatory amendments came into effect July 1, 2020, changing the rules that govern the calculation of rent-geared-to-income (RGI) assistance as part of Community Housing Renewal. The changes to RGI make fairer and easier for tenants to understand and simpler for staff to administer.

Launching the Rural and Urban Indigenous Housing Program

The Rural and Urban Indigenous Housing Program (RUIHP), the successor to the Rural and Native Housing program, began on April 1, 2020. Up to $8 million annually will be provided to Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS), based on program performance. The Rural and Native Housing program ended on March 31, 2020.

The RUIHP has the following objectives:

• Provide access to RGI housing for Indigenous and non-Indigenous households in core/deep core housing need, in urban and rural areas of Ontario;
• Provide affordable housing and affordable housing assistance, including housing allowances, to Indigenous and non-Indigenous households; and,
• Sustain community housing in the long-term and support diverse household profiles within RUIHP.

Homelessness

This program provides a flexible array of services and supports to help the homeless – and those at risk of homelessness – to become stably housed or avoid becoming homeless in the first place. It works across government to address the causes of homelessness.

Social Services Relief Fund

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government took immediate action to help improve housing and homeless shelter solutions, and support vulnerable people, with the creation of the Social Services Relief Fund (SSRF). The SSRF helps to give service managers and Indigenous Program Administrators the flexibility to respond to local needs such as solutions to provide social distancing in shelters and congregate care settings, personal protective equipment for service providers, and assist people with rent arrears, contributing to containing the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives.

The objectives of the SSRF are to:

1. Mitigate ongoing risks for vulnerable people, especially in congregate care settings;
2. Encourage longer-term housing-based solutions to homelessness post-COVID-19; and,
3. Enhance rent assistance provided to households in rent arrears due to COVID-19.

The SSRF is providing a total of $765 million (including $212 million under the federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement) to service managers and Indigenous program administrators in 2020-21. The funding has been allocated through multiple phases.

The SSRF provided an immediate investment of $148 million to communities and was announced on March 23, 2020. This initial operating funding helped municipalities and social service providers such as shelters, food banks, emergency services, charities and non-profits continue to deliver a diverse range of critical services (for example, food security, personal protective equipment, and assistance with rent arrears).

A second SSRF investment was announced on July 2, 2020, followed by other funding announcements on August 12, October 28, 2020, and December 15, 2021 which communicated an additional total investment of $362 million under this initiative.

SSRF Phase 2 continued to allow operating activities as an eligible use of funding, as well as capital activities to support more permanent, longer-term solutions to homelessness (for example, renovation of shelters, community, and transitional housing; and the purchase of new facilities and modular housing).

Further SSRF funding was announced on March 10, 2021. This provided service managers and Indigenous program administrators with an additional $255 million in SSRF operating funding to:

• Maintain infection prevention and control measures while there is community transmission and risk of transmission in congregate care settings; and,
• Ensure stability in the homelessness sector by continuing current services and supports that address the negative impact of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable households.

To ensure this investment is delivered as quickly as possible and to provide maximum flexibility to respond to varying local needs across the province, funding under the SSRF is being provided to service managers through the existing Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative and to Indigenous Program Administrators through the existing Indigenous Supportive Housing Program.

Mental Health and Addictions Supports

The government invested $11.8 million to support service managers to strengthen mental health and addictions supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This investment included $10 million under “Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System,” and $1.8 million under Ontario's Fall Preparedness Plan, “Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19.”

This funding helps to strengthen mental health and addictions services in communities hit hard by COVID-19, by increasing outreach services to individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness and providing better connections between mental health, addictions and housing supports. The funding is allocated among several communities in Ontario who are facing an increased demand for mental health and addictions services as a result of COVID-19.

Pandemic Pay

On April 25, 2020, the government announced additional support for frontline workers fighting COVID-19, including shelter and supportive housing staff, through a temporary pandemic pay of $4/hour worked on top of their regular wages.

In addition, the government provided monthly lump sum payments of $250 for four months to eligible frontline workers who work over 100 hours per month. Pandemic pay was effective for 16 weeks, from April 24, 2020 to August 13, 2020.

Isolation Facilities

As part of the government’s High Priority Communities Strategy, $42 million in funding was made available to establish COVID-19 isolation facilities. The facilities provide safe places for individuals to isolate, as well as supports and services, such as meals, security, transportation and links with health and social services.

Community case managers coordinate access to a range of wraparound supports, including emergency financial assistance.

The province increased existing isolation facility capacity and created new facilities, targeting select high-priority communities in the Regions of Peel, Durham and York, and the City of Toronto. These jurisdictions were selected due to their high-COVID-19 prevalence (current or historical), low testing rates, and sociodemographic barriers to testing and self-isolation.

Outbreak Management Planning

Since the onset of the pandemic, MMAH has been focused on protecting the health and safety of vulnerable Ontarians. Outbreak management planning initiatives have been an important part of this focus. These initiatives include the following:

Working with the Ministry of Health, and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, on provincial guidance for public health units, and a vaccination allocation framework in congregate care settings, including shelters.

• Working with the Ministry of Health to support Service Managers’ participation in the Provincial Antigen Screening Program (PASP).
• Requiring service managers to complete 2 attestations concerning local facilities, in October 2020 and March 2021.
  • The October 2020 attestation required service manager to confirm the following:
    • A plan to manage outbreaks is in place for all emergency homeless shelters/facilities and MMAH funded congregate supportive housing facilities.
    • The SM has identified any facility gaps in preparedness and will follow up to ensure the shelter or facility has a finalized plan to manage outbreaks.
    • The service manager and providers have ongoing communication mechanisms in place with local public health officials.
  • The March 2021 attestation required service managers to confirm the following:
    • That shelter operators in their service areas have performed an Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) self-audit and any gaps identified are reported to service managers and local IPAC hubs to address; and
    • That shelter operators in their services areas have appointed an IPAC lead in their respective facilities, who has completed IPAC training and can disseminate information to other facility staff members to strengthen IPAC knowledge.
  • To assist with the IPAC attestation, MMAH also shared IPAC education resources with service managers.

COVID-19 Surveys

Since April 2020, MMAH has collected information about ministry-funded emergency shelters and supportive housing facilities from service managers, through a bi-weekly survey.

Data is collected by facility regarding the following: facility capacity; clients served; and COVID-19 cases, including outbreaks, recoveries, and deaths.

By-Name List Implementation

In March 2020, MMAH communicated to service managers and sector organizations its intention to introduce By-Name Lists across Ontario in 2021. A By-Name List is a real-time list of people experiencing homelessness in a community that includes information about individuals’ needs to connect people to a range of housing options and supports and improve service coordination.

MMAH engaged with homelessness experts and service managers to develop a provincial approach. On March 19, 2021, MMAH announced the requirement for Service Managers to begin developing a By-Name List in April 2021, with full implementation by December 31, 2021.

Recognizing that the By-Name List approach is a major shift for many service managers, MMAH has partnered with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) to support service managers during By-Name List implementation. CAEH will deliver training, workshops, intensive coaching, community of practice meetings and will develop a best practice guide to help service managers develop and implement effective By-Name Lists.

Service managers will be providing MMAH an update on the status of their By-Name List implementation in Summer 2021 to:

• Confirm establishment of a By-Name List.
• Provide early details on proposed approach to use the By-Name List to better connect people to services.
• Provide a list of any local priorities identified by the Service Manager in addition to provincial requirements.

Market Housing

Implementing More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan

The ministry released More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan (HSAP) and introduced the More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019 in May 2019. The HSAP includes a range of initiatives across government that collectively address barriers and unlock opportunities to increase the supply of market rental and ownership housing in Ontario. A number of initiatives under the HSAP were rolled out between April 2020 and March 2021, while further development has occurred on others to be rolled out in the coming year.

As part of the HSAP, the ministry is examining opportunities to facilitate the use of surplus provincial lands to support housing policy objectives.  This has included evaluating surplus provincial lands prior to sale to determine if they could be used for affordable housing and collaborating with partner ministries to leverage the value of surplus provincial lands for priority housing outcomes (for example, more market and affordable housing).

Passage and Implementation of Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA)

The ministry led the passage of and is implementing significant amendments made to the RTA through:

• Bill 184, the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, which was introduced in March and passed on July 21, 2021. The bill was informed by HSAP consultations and had the goals of supporting balanced and accessible adjudication of disputes, streamlined processes at the Landlord and Tenant Board and increased protections for tenants.
• Bill 204, Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, which froze residential rents in 2021 at 2020 levels in order to stabilize rents for the vast majority of tenants given the impacts of the pandemic on many households.

Implementing Temporary Residential Eviction Moratorium

In 2020-21, there were two moratoriums that came into effect to protect the health and safety of Ontarians in response to COVID-19:

• Emergency Order Pausing Residential Evictions Enforcement (O Reg. 13/21) – Working with the Ministry of the Solicitor General and as part of the second provincial declaration of emergency, the ministry led the development of an emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to temporarily pause the enforcement of residential evictions to ensure people were not forced to leave their homes while a provincial stay-at-home order was in force.
• Court order Pausing Residential Evictions Enforcement and the LTB’s Suspension of Eviction Hearings (led by MAG) – In March, the Attorney General made an application to the Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice for an order suspending the eviction of tenants and homeowners from their residence. The order, as granted by the Chief Justice and subsequently amended, suspended the enforcement of eviction orders until the last day of the month that the declaration of emergency was lifted. The ministry supported the implementation of the suspension by leading public communications as well as monitoring the impacts of the suspension.

Monitoring the Rental Housing Market Signs of Stress / Excessive Arrears

• The ministry followed Ontario’s rental housing market via data analysis, media scans, and discussions with stakeholders and service managers, in order to watch for signs of stress / excessive arrears resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. MMAH worked closely with other ministries, including MCCSS, to help assess the ability of renter households to cover their housing costs, and to anticipate potential future needs / stresses.

Commercial Tenant Support and Eviction Bans

To support the financial viability and recovery of businesses affected by COVID-19, the ministry:

• Supported the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in partnering with the federal government to deliver over $900M in rent relief through the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program for small businesses from April to September 2020.
• Developed and implemented two commercial eviction bans by amending the Commercial Tenancies Act through the passage of Bill 204, Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act and Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover (Fall 2020 Ontario Budget) as well as the enactment of a new regulation. The bans were tied to CECRA and the subsequent Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) to protect businesses from eviction while they sought financial relief through available federal rent assistance programs. While the CECRA ban was designed to protect tenants from eviction whose landlords did not apply for the federal subsidy program, the CERS ban is designed to protect tenants who have been approved for the new federal subsidy program, as this subsidy is paid directly to the eligible applicant.

Enhancing use of Housing and Homelessness Data and Evidence

The development of the Housing and Homelessness Business Intelligence (HHBI) Data Portal has been one of the ministry’s key I&IT infrastructure projects from 2016-17 to 2020-21, crucial to the success of building an evidence-based housing system. The data portal addresses the sector’s long-standing need for an integrated data warehouse that links housing and socio-economic datasets in one online platform, enabling ready access to data. In 2020-21, for example, a suite of interactive dashboards was developed in the HHBI Portal with data on Ontario’s housing market and various sub-markets and core housing need.

Providing Public Awareness and Tenant and Landlord Guidance

The ministry raised public awareness about key topics such as landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities under the RTA and the CTA, including recent amendments, and temporary changes to rental processes and rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was achieved through:

• Responding to a significantly higher than usual volume of correspondence and calls from landlords and tenants for assistance;
• A residential rental ad campaign, held between July and September 2020, that targeted residential tenants using social / digital platforms and public spaces;
• Published an updated Standard Form of Lease to reflect amendments to the RTA and further clarify rent rules and tenant rights; and,
• RHEU’s focused efforts to mitigate potential unlawful evictions and other RTA offences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-21 Results