Mayor Elizabeth Roy’s Statement on Whitby’s Participation in the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build - Development Charges Reduction Program

Like municipalities across Ontario, Whitby is committed to supporting the construction of more homes and efforts to make home ownership more attainable for current and future residents.

This evening, Council agreed to opt into the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build – Development Charges Reduction Program, which will require Whitby to reduce residential development charges by 30 per cent for three years.

Development charges are one-time fees paid by developers to help fund roads, parks, recreation facilities, other growth-related infrastructure needed to support new communities.

While there is no single solution to the housing crisis, increasing housing supply must be part of the answer.

By reducing development charges on residential projects, this program is intended to encourage new housing construction, support a wider range of housing options, and help accelerate the delivery of homes that families need.

At the same time, it’s important to recognize that development charges play a critical role in funding the infrastructure required to support growth.

While the federal and provincial governments have committed to covering a significant portion of the revenue municipalities will forgo through this program, local governments will still be required to absorb a share of these costs.

At a time when municipalities across Ontario are facing unprecedented financial pressures and continued downloading of responsibilities from other levels of government, I remain concerned about the potential impact on property taxpayers who are already struggling with rising costs.

That is why Council also approved my amendment this evening directing me to write to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford requesting a collaborative dialogue between all three levels of government to refine the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build framework.

We all share the same goal: building more homes and improving affordability. However, we must ensure that municipalities can support housing growth without shifting additional costs onto existing residents through higher property taxes.

By working together, I am confident we can create a framework that delivers the housing Ontario needs while protecting the financial sustainability of municipalities and the taxpayers we serve.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Office of the Mayor

Jillian Follert
Public Affairs Coordinator, Office of the Mayor
Phone: 289.314.9101
Email: follertj@whitby.ca