Belleville City Hall was the site of an announcement today involving a plan to cut red tape and build housing quicker.
Bay of Quinte MP Chris Malette, on behalf of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson joined Mayor of Belleville Neil Ellis, council and staff, announced that Belleville has endorsed the Housing Design Catalogue and has become the latest municipality to join dozens more across the country as an official Local Partner.
Through this initiative, the municipality pre-reviews designs to streamline approvals—making it easier for builders and homeowners to plan their projects.
Through the Housing Accelerator Fund, the City modernized zoning regulations and embraced standardized designs, also developing its own pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit plans for use in the community.
The Housing Design Catalogue is part of a broader set of measures introduced by the federal government to double the rate of housing construction, restore affordability, and reduce homelessness.
The Catalogue supports standardization in the housing sector, and local governments are key partners in unlocking that potential, through a library of over 50 pre-approved low-rise housing
plans to accelerate “gentle density” nationwide, that’s free to use for all Canadians.
The designs take into consideration the different building requirements across Canada and were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams.
“Today, as partners, we’re building a stronger Canada. Looking around me, I know that while each of us has different solutions to share, we share the same goal: to increase residential construction and ensure that everyone in Canada has a place to live,” stated Malette.
“The City of Belleville is proud to support the Government of Canada’s Housing Design Catalogue as an important tool to help accelerate housing construction,”added Ellis.
“By working together with our federal partners, we can help streamline the process of building more homes, increase the supply of affordable housing and support the long-term growth of communities across our region.”
