Last night, Whitby Council pledged to facilitate the development of 18,000 new homes by 2031.

In October 2022, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark issued a letter to the Town of Whitby highlighting the Province’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes by 2031 and assigning Whitby a municipal housing target of 18,000 homes.

The Town of Whitby was asked to demonstrate its commitment by developing a municipal housing pledge and delivering it Minster Clark by March 22, 2023.

“This council recognizes the need to increase the housing supply in Whitby and is pleased to make this commitment,” says Whitby Mayor Elizabeth Roy. “With the number of housing units already approved or in the approval process, Whitby is well on its way to meeting the target set by the province.”

Whitby’s current inventory of housing units approved or in the approval process includes 4,123 low density units, 4,925 medium density units and 9,070 high density units.

The pledge endorsed by council on March 20 lays out several strategies for accelerating Whitby’s housing supply including:

• Completing an on-going comprehensive review and update of the Town’s zoning by-laws, including permissive policies to support accessory units in ground related housing forms and contemporary regulations to accommodate a wide range of housing types as-of-right;
• Continuing to implement Official Plan policy adjustments to increase the proportionate share of medium and high-density residential units in strategic areas of the Town, such as designated centers, corridors and the Whitby GO Station and Port Whitby areas;
• Initiating an update to the Town of Whitby Official Plan to comply with recent changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and a pending new Official Plan for the Region of Durham;
• Initiating an update to strengthen the policy basis for medium and high-density residential units within the Whitby GO Major Transit Station Area;
• Developing a Housing Acceleration Strategy; and
• Capitalizing on funding sources, such as the Streamline Development Fund, to further advance online portal development for Planning Act and Ontario Building Code Act related applications.

Whitby Council is requesting further dialogue with the Province on Bill 23 and the impacts that development change shortfalls could have on future Town budgets.

Quick Facts

• To help deliver on its commitment to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, the Government of Ontario has assigned Municipal Housing Targets to 29 large and fast-growing lower and single-tier municipalities with a population projected to be over 100,000 by 2031. Targets are based on current population and 2011 to 2021 growth trends.

• The province’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 received royal assent on November 28, 2022. It was introduced to support Ontario's Housing Supply Action Plan.

• Initial analysis from the Town of Whitby shows Bill 23 will cost Whitby taxpayers $34 million per year. The growth costs for things like new roads, parks and recreational facilities will be shifted from developers to taxpayers. This impact could mean a 30 per cent overall property tax increase, or an increase of about $600 on the average Whitby home.

More Resources

For more information, visit: ontario.ca/page/more-homes-built-faster

For media inquiries, please contact:

Office of the Mayor

Jillian Follert, Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.387.9101; Email: follertj@whitby.ca

Corporate Communications

Erin Mikaluk, Manager, Communications and Creative Services, Town of Whitby
Phone: 289.314.6913; Email: mikaluke@whitby.ca