BUILDING DURHAM

TORONTO, APRIL 15, 2024 – The Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Scott Andison as Chief Executive Officer, effective April 15, 2024. Andison, a seasoned leader with a formidable background in the public and private sectors as well as not-for-profit organizations, will lead the OHBA through a renewed period of strategic growth and advocacy.

Andison's career is marked by notable leadership roles that span the private sector and extensive service within the Ontario government, demonstrating a versatile skill set that bridges both realms effectively. His leadership in executive roles in the private sector showcases his acumen in business development, operational excellence, and navigating regulatory landscapes.

Within the Ontario government, Andison served in critical roles in the ministries of Finance and Education and, more recently, as the Executive Director of Health System Strategy at the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, where he was instrumental in the development and delivery of strategic initiatives aimed at improving health service delivery and outcomes. His expertise in policy development, stakeholder engagement, and program implementation within complex government structures highlights his capability to navigate and influence public sector environments effectively.

Beyond his direct government service, Andison's tenure as President & CEO of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) further exemplifies his leadership prowess, particularly in advocacy and association management within the housing sector. In this capacity, Andison adeptly balanced member interests with governmental policies, spearheading initiatives that promoted sustainable growth and regulatory improvements on behalf of members.

"We are exceptionally pleased to welcome Scott Andison as OHBA’s Chief Executive Officer. His extensive experience in both the private sector and within the Ontario government equips him with a unique perspective and set of skills that are ideal for leading our association," said the OHBA Board President Dave Depencier. "Scott’s proven leadership, combined with his strategic vision and deep understanding of both the governmental and private sectors, will propel OHBA and the interests of our members forward."

Andison expressed his commitment to leveraging his diverse experience for the benefit of OHBA, stating, "I am honoured to take on the role of CEO at the OHBA. My experiences across the private sector and within the Ontario government have prepared me to lead this association effectively. I am very excited for the opportunity to direct my experience and passion to support Ontario’s developers, builders and renovators to build the housing choices that Ontarians need and can afford."

In this new chapter, the OHBA is set to navigate the challenges and opportunities facing the residential new home construction industry with renewed vigor, ensuring that the association remains a pivotal force in shaping policy, fostering industry growth, and supporting its members.

To facilitate the transition, Neil Rodgers will pivot into a Strategic Advisor capacity over the next several months, working daily with Scott.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Neil for his commitment and dedication to OHBA over the last several months in serving as our Interim CEO. He fulfilled a critical role in stabilizing the operation, building relationships within the association community, and advancing our government relations strategy to ensure housing supply remains the top priority for all levels of government,” said President Dave Depencier.

The federal government has unveiled Canada’s Housing Plan, which responds to the significant housing challenges faced by Canadian communities. With Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government is taking a leadership role and making investments that drive the change needed to help solve Canada's national housing crisis.

In the years since the pandemic, Canada’s housing sector has faced increasingly difficult challenges, compounded by high interest rates that slowed the economy and home construction. Today, the national housing crisis presents one of Canada’s greatest social and economic challenges. Canada needs to build more homes, faster, to meet the demand of our growing communities.

The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Fraser announced Canada’s vision and plan to solve Canada's national housing crisis. Through Canada’s Housing Plan, the government is committing to building more homes, faster; increasing housing affordability; growing the community housing sector; and, making it easier to rent or buy a home.

Canada is rising to this challenge by:

• Building more homes by bringing down the costs of homebuilding, helping cities make it easier to build homes at a faster pace, changing the way Canadian homebuilders manufacture homes, and growing the workforce to ensure we get the job done.
• Making it easier to rent or own a home by ensuring that every renter or homeowner has a home that suits their needs, and the stability to retain it.
• Helping Canadians who can’t afford a home by building more affordable housing for students, seniors, persons with disabilities, and equity-deserving communities, and eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada.

Building more homes

Making the math work for homebuilders

• Eliminating GST from new rental apartment construction projects, co-ops, and new student residences built by non-profit universities, and public colleges and school authorities.
• Reforming the Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP), and providing a further $15 billion in loans to build a minimum of 30,000 new rental apartments. This brings the program’s total loan funding to over $55 billion with more than 131,000 new rental homes by 2031-32, including $500 million in low-cost financing to support rental housing projects using innovative techniques. This is in addition to the $15 billion announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement.
• Launching Canada Builds to leverage funding from the Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP) to partner with provinces and territories that launch their own ambitious housing plans, increasing the impact of federal, provincial and territorial investments.
• Launching a Public Lands for Homes plan that will unlock underused public land to build more housing, accelerate the process of making public land available for housing, lease public land instead of selling it off, and create a new mapping tool to keep track of federal lands that can be used for housing.
• Announcing $20 million, through Budget 2024, for Statistics Canada and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for modernizing and enhancing the collection and dissemination of housing data, including municipal-level data on housing starts and completions.
• Introducing the Canada Secondary Suite Loan Program, delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to provide homeowners up to $40,000 in low-interest loans to add a secondary suite to their existing homes.
• Launching a $4.3 billion Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy in 2024 to establish a ‘for Indigenous, by Indigenous’ National Housing Centre, and provide additional distinctions-based investments for culturally appropriate Indigenous housing to be delivered by Indigenous governments, organizations, and housing and service providers.

Working with communities to build more housing, faster

• Providing an additional $400 million dollars to the $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) to incentivize an additional 12,000 new homes in the next three years so more municipalities can cut red tape, fast-track home construction, and invest in affordable housing.
• Attaching housing conditions on public transit funding by requiring that any community that wants transit funding will be required to take action that will directly unlock housing supply where it’s needed most, including:

1. Eliminating mandatory minimum parking requirements within 800 metres of a high-frequency transit line;
2. Allowing high-density housing within 800 metres of a high-frequency transit line;
3. Allowing high-density housing within 800 metres of post-secondary institutions; and,
4. Completing Housing Needs Assessments for communities with a population over 30,000.

• Launching a new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction and upgrading of critical housing infrastructure. This includes water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure to support the construction of more homes. This fund will include:

1. $1 billion available to municipalities to support urgent infrastructure needs to enable more housing; and
2. $5 billion for agreements with provinces and territories to support long-term priorities. Provinces and territories can access this funding if they commit to key actions that increase housing supply, including:

• Legalizing more housing options by adopting zoning that allows four units as-of-right and that permits more “missing middle” homes, including duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and small multi-unit apartments;
• Implementing a three-year freeze on increasing development charges from April 2, 2024 levels for municipalities with a population greater than 300,000;
• Adopting forthcoming changes to the National Building Code to support more accessible, affordable, and climate-friendly housing options;
• Providing pre-approval for construction of designs included in the government’s upcoming Housing Design Catalogue; and,
• Implementing measures from the forthcoming Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights and Renters’ Bill of Rights.

1. Provinces will have until January 1, 2025 to secure an agreement, and territories will have until April 1, 2025. If a province or territory does not secure an agreement by their respective deadline, their funding allocation will be transferred to the municipal stream.

Changing the way we build homes

• Allocating $11.6 million to the development of a Housing Design Catalogue, which will provide builders and municipalities with a set of standardized designs that will streamline planning, development, and approval processes of new home build.
• Launching the new Homebuilding Technology and Innovation Fund. This Fund will provide $50 million delivered through Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) to help scale-up, commercialize, and promote adoption of innovative housing technologies and materials in Canada’s homebuilding industry, including for modular and prefabricated homes.
• Investing $50 million over two years for Canada’s regional development agencies to support innovative housing projects, including those in modular housing, automation, and robotics.
• Simplifying the way that Canada builds homes by making specific changes to the National Building Code to support factory build-housing and changes to allow more multi-bedroom apartments in existing neighbourhoods.
• Providing $500 million in low-cost financing for new apartments that use innovative prefabricated homebuilding techniques through the Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP).

Growing and training the workforce

• Providing an additional $50 million in the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, building on the federal government’s previous $115 million investment, with a focus on residential construction to help skilled trades workers get more homes built.
• Providing $10 million for the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness program to encourage high school students to enter the skilled trades, with an additional $90 million for the Apprenticeship Service, creating apprenticeship opportunities to train and recruit the next generation of skilled trades workers.

Making it easier to rent or own a home

Protecting renters

• Launching the new $15 million Tenant Protection Fund, through Budget 2024, to provide funding to provincial legal services and tenants’ rights advocacy organizations to better protect tenant rights and ensure that renting a home is fair, open, and transparent.
• Creating the Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights, in partnership with provinces and territories, to require landlords to disclose a clear history of apartment pricing, significantly reduce renovictions, and create a nationwide standard lease agreement to give renters more agency.
• Strengthening the Canadian Mortgage Charter, and working with fintech companies, credit bureaus, and lenders to prioritize tools so that renters can report and record their rent payment history, strengthening their credit scores, ensuring they get credit for on-time rent payments, and unlocking pathways to become homeowners.

Getting you into your first home

• Extending the limit on insured mortgage amortizations for first-time buyers acquiring new builds by five years to increase access to mortgages for younger Canadians.
• Strengthening the Canadian Mortgage Charter to support access to fair, reasonable, and timely mortgage relief measures from their federally regulated financial institutions.
• Leveraging the tax-free First Home Savings Account to help Canadians meet their saving goals and purchase of their first home, faster. The tax-free First Home Savings Account is already helping over 750,000 Canadians save faster for their first down payment.

Supporting current homeowners

• Extending the grace period for when homeowners are not required to repay their Home Buyers’ Plan withdrawals to their RRSP, from two to five years, for all those who withdraw between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2025.
• Launching the Canada Green Buildings Strategy to focus on lowering home energy bills and reducing building emissions by supporting energy efficient retrofits. $903.5 million will go toward the Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program, renewing and improving existing energy efficiency programs, and continuing to develop national approaches to home energy labelling.

Protecting Canada’s existing housing stock

• Creating a short-term rental enforcement fund which will provide $50 million for municipal enforcement of restrictions on short-term rentals, and increase long-term rental units.
• Extending the ban on purchasing residential property by foreign investors, legislated through the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, until January 1, 2027.

Helping Canadians who can’t afford a home

Increasing the supply of affordable housing in Canada

• Providing $1 billion to the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) in addition to the $1 billion top-up announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, bringing the total funding to over $14 billion, to reform and strengthen the program.
• Launching a $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund to help community housing providers acquire affordable rental units at risk of being sold to investors and repriced in order to preserve their affordability over the long term.
• Launching the $1.5 billion Co-operative Housing Development Program to support new co-operative housing developments across the country.

Providing funding to communities to help end homelessness

• Providing additional investments of $1 billion over four years to stabilize Reaching Home: Canada's Homelessness Strategy.
• Investing $250 million to address the urgent issue of encampments and unsheltered homelessness in communities across Canada, supporting the most vulnerable and ending encampments as vulnerable Canadians transition into dignified housing solutions.

At the April 8th Clarington General Government committee meeting, staff walked on Report CAO-002-24 - The Perfect Storm - Impact of Provincial Changes on our Community.

DRHBA is specifically concerned about Recommendation #3 in the report, which states:

"That Fiscal Impact Assessments be undertaken for all Secondary Plans (inclusive of those completed) to understand the full impact of the legislative changes on each, in particular parkland and DC revenues, and report back to Council prior to any further approvals (inclusive of development application approvals)."

DRHBA's Government Relations (GR) Committee is actively working on this issue.  Any landowners in Clarington are encouraged to reach out to Stacey to ensure they receive all future updates.

On April 10, 2024, the Ontario government introduced Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024. The legislation, positioned as an omnibus red tape reduction bill, contains the next round of proposed policy changes that form part of the housing supply action plans that the Ford government has committed to releasing on an annual basis.

Click here to read OHBA's full Member Update on Bill 185.

OHBA Member Update - Ontario Building Code

The newly harmonized next edition of the Ontario Building Code (OBC) was filed on April 10, 2024.  This resulted in over 1,730 provisions changing within the next code.  OHBA remains committed to working with MMAH and other key stakeholders, such as the Ontario Building Officials' Association, to ensure a successful transition to 2024 OBC.

Resources

• For the Building Code Regulation on E-laws, click here.
• Subscribe to Ontario CodeNews to receive the latest information from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Key Dates and Transition Plan

• The filing of the next edition took place on April 10, 2024; however it will not come into effect until January 1, 2025.
• Using a "Transition Plan," MMAH has extended the lifespan of the 2012 code by 9 month, with a 3-month extension for permit applications that are substantially complete by December 31, 2024, based on requirements of the 2012 code.
• During this transition period, only one edition of the Building Code (either 2012 or 2024) could be used in the design and construction of a building.  The version of the building code that applies at the time of permit application is the version that will continue to apply to the building throughout processes of plans review, permit issuance, construction, inspection, and occupancy of buildings.
• March 31, 2025 - Deadline for permit applications using the 2012 Ontario Building Code, where working drawings were substantially complete before January 1, 2025.
• April 1, 2025 - All permit applications must use the 2024 Ontario Building Code.

Proposed Code Changes that ARE NOT Moving Forward Within the 2024 OBC

There are two key items that were proposed for adoption into the 2024 Ontario Building Code that will not be moving forward within the next edition as they did not meet the key criteria applied under the Ministry's analysis:

1. Energy Efficiency for Houses and Large Buildings.  Note: Ontario will not be adopting Tier 1 and Tier 3.  Supplementary Standards SB-10 and SB-12 to remain in place.
2. Tornado resiliency of houses.

Key Aspects of the 2024 Ontario Building Code

Division A and C administrative changes introduce multiple definitions supporting harmonization with the National Building Code (NBC) and Ontario-only requirements.  We recommend that members take the time to review all the proposed changes, but have flagged the following key items to be aware of:

Radon

• Harmonize with the NBC on mitigating the effects of radon in buildings across Ontario.
• Ontario to adopt a proactive approach to address soil gas/Radon by requiring new houses to have a rough-in for a subfloor depressurization system, if subsequently required.
• Changes include corresponding revisions to reference Supplementary Standard SB-9 and a new Appendix Note to clarify that buildings occupied for a few hours a day may not be required to implement soil gas protection methods.
• The OBC to keep the three townships in code that require full radon abatement.

Two Unit Houses (Secondary Suites)

• Harmonize Ontario's two-unit provisions with National, except for National's limitation around minimum suite sizes.
• Secondary suites will require two HVAC systems.

Large Buildings (Accessibility)

• Harmonize with 2020 NBC accessibility requirements where they enhance current OBC requirements.

Structural Design

Fully harmonize with National's recent structural design changes, including:

• Earthquake design: a web-based seismic data tool available for design support.
• Importance categories: revised description of types of buildings.
• Solar panels: provisions to calculate wind and snow loads for roofs with roof-mounted solar panels.

Additional information around the 2024 OBC will be delivered to members through a series of OHBA webinars and training sessions.  Please look out for registration in the coming days.

OHBA will be supported by MMAH as they look to roll out the 2024 OBC and have committed to providing members with technical bulletins, webinars and seminars.

DRHBA is hosting an OBC Update session as part of the LEEP session on May 2, 2024 at Deer Creek in Ajax.  More details on this event can be found here.

Oshawa – March 18, 2024 – The Durham Region Home Builders’ Association (DRHBA) has released the finalists for the 2024 Awards of Excellence.  This year, DRHBA had over 100 entries and judges from across Canada have scored the submissions and chosen this year’s winners.

These prestigious awards celebrate excellence in new homes, home renovations, innovative technology and construction, outstanding presentation, and marketing of projects within Durham Region.

Please join us in person for this year’s Awards of Excellence ceremony!  DRHBA will be hosting the in-person gala on Thursday, April 25^th at 5:30 p.m. at the Towneplace Suites by Marriott, located at 1011 Bloor Street East in Oshawa.  Please click here  to purchase your tickets.  Don’t delay – ticket sales close on April 12, 2023.

If you have any questions regarding DRHBA’s Awards of Excellence, please contact Erica at erica@drhba.com or 905-579-8080 ext. 1.

This year’s finalists include:

Sales & Marketing Finalists

Excellence in Digital Advertisement

• Great Gulf – Whitby Meadows
•  Minto Communities – The Heights of Harmony Phase II

Excellence in Interior Decorating

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Logo Design

• Coughlan Homes – Five
• Esquire Homes – Fresh Urban Towns
• Geranium - Clarehaven

Excellence in New Homes Sales Office

• Great Gulf – Whitby Meadows
•  In2ition Realty – The Grand at Universal City Condos

Excellence in Sales Brochure Design

• Esquire Homes – Fresh Urban Towns
• Esquire Homes – Meadow Towns
• Geranium - Clarehaven

Excellence in Signage

• Esquire Homes – Fresh Urban Towns
• Geranium – Clarehaven
• Holland Homes – Kings Cross

Excellence in Social Media

• Great Gulf – Corporate Social Media
• Minto Communities – The Heights of Harmony Phase II
• Pinchin Ltd. – Pinchin Ltd.

Excellence in Website Design

• Coughlan Homes – Coughlan Homes
• Esquire Homes – Esquire Homes

Finalists – New Home Design - Custom

Excellence in Custom Built Bathroom Design

• A&R Development Group Ltd. – Luxurious Bathroom Design for Elevated Living
• Fourteen Estates Ltd. – Grand Central Primary Ensuite – with credit to Cassidy + Company
• Holland Homes – 229 Gibbons St. Oshawa Bathroom Design

Excellence in Custom Built Kitchen Design

• A&R Development Group Ltd. – Crafting a Custom Dream Kitchen at 1421 Rougemount Dr.
• Fourteen Estates Ltd. – Grand Central Kitchen – with credit to Cassidy + Company

Excellence in Custom Built Home Under 3,500 sq.ft.

• Hausworks Design Inc. – Holiday House
• Holland Homes – 3330 Tooley Rd, Courtice
• RN Design Ltd. – 30 3^rd Avenue South

Excellence in Custom Built Home Over 3,501 sq.ft.

• A&R Development Group Ltd. – Rougemount Residence: Crafting a Custom Dream at 1421 Rougemount Dr.
• Fourteen Estates Ltd. – Grand Central – with credit to Cassidy + Company
• LCM Project Management & General Contracting – Simple Elegance Nestled on the Nineth

Finalists – New Home Design – Production

Excellence in Back-to-Back Townhome

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Stacked/Back-to-Back Townhouse Building Design

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Stacked/Back-to-Back Townhouse Unit Design

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Building Design (Mid-Rise & High-Rise)

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Multi-Unit Suite Design (Mid-Rise and High-Rise)

• Kiya Developments Ltd. – Interior Suite
• Kiya Developments Ltd. – Mid-Rise - Dundas

Excellence in Production Built Bathroom Design

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Production Built Home Under 2,500 sq.ft.

• Delpark Homes – The Homewood – with credit to: Cassidy + Company
• Khanani Developments Inc. – Lot 14 Whitby
• ·Minto Communities – The Heights of Harmony Phase II

Excellence in Production Built Home 2,501 – 3,500 sq.ft.

• Geranium - Clarehaven
• Holland Homes – 229 Gibbons St. Oshawa
• Khanani Developments Inc. – Lot 4 Whitby

Excellence in Production Built Home over 3,501 sq.ft.

• Coughlan Homes – 4502B Pente
• Coughlan Homes - 4503A Tano
• Geranium - Clarehaven

Excellence in Production Built Kitchen Design

• Khanani Developments Inc. – Lot 16 Kitchen
• Minto Communities – The Heights of Harmony Phase II

Excellence in Townhome under 2,000 sq.ft.

• Brookfield Residential – The Claremont – with credit to: RN Design Ltd.
• Great Gulf – Whitby Meadows
• Minto Communities – The Heights of Harmony Phase II

Excellence in Townhome Over 2,000 sq.ft.

• Brookfield Residential – The Mapleridge – with credit to: RN Design Ltd.
• Coughlan Homes – 2504 Wick
• Great Gulf – Whitby Meadows

Finalists – RenoMark Home Renovator Awards

Excellence in Bathroom Renovation

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Home Renovation/Addition Over $250,001

• Accubuilt Construction Ltd. – Solina Renovation
• Kooger Custom Homes & Renovations – Henderson St. Renovation
• Paradisaic Building Group – Dell Addition

Excellence in Home Renovation/Addition Under $250,000

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Excellence in Kitchen Renovation

• Accubuilt Construction Ltd. – Solina Kitchen
• Paradisaic Building Group – Claremont Kitchen

Excellence in Unique Space

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Outstanding Achievement Awards

Excellence in Training & Development

• Brookfield Residential
• Cassidy + Company
• Minto Communities

Innovation of the Year

• Render Developments – Virtual Flythrough Video
• Minto Communities – Minto Communities
• My Design Studio – My Design Studio Décor Management Software

Sales Team of the Year

• In2ition Realty – The Grand at Universal City Condos
• Pinchin Ltd. – Pinchin Ltd. Has an all-star sales team!

Supplier of the Year

• Pollard Windows & Doors
• Reliance Home Comfort

Professional of the Year

• D.G. Biddle & Associates Ltd.
• Peter Skowron at Hausworks Design

Renovator of the Year

• Accubuilt Construction
• Kooger Custom Homes & Renovations
• Paradisaic Building Group

Corporate Citizenship

• To be announced at the Awards Gala

Community of the Year

• Brookfield Residential – Station No. 3
• Great Gulf – Whitby Meadows
• Geranium - Clarehaven

Green Builder of the Year

• Brookfield Residential - myEnergy
• Great Gulf
• Minto Communities

Builder of the Year – Small Volume

• Esquire Homes
• Khanani Developments Inc.

Builder of the Year – Large Volume

• Coughlan Homes
• Great Gulf
• Minto Communities

People’s Choice Award – Finalists

• Accubuilt Construction
• Brookfield Residential
• Coughlan Homes
• Esquire Homes
• Great Gulf
• In2ition Realty
• Khanani Developments Inc.
• Kooger Custom Homes & Renovations
• Minto Communities
• Paradisaic Building Group
• Pinchin Ltd.
• Pollard Windows & Doors
• Reliance Home Comfort

Vote Online for the People’s Choice Winner here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SG2N77N

Voting for the People's Choice Award closes on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 5 p.m.

The Ontario Home Builders' Association is currently investigating a fee increase for the 2024-2025 membership year.

OHBA dues are billed through and collected by DRHBA and remitted back to OHBA.  Currently, members pay $400 to OHBA as part of their yearly dues.  

OHBA created a presentation to explain/justify the fee increase, which can be reviewed here.

There are two fee options currently being proposed:

Flat Fee

Under the proposed Flat Fee model, the proposed rates are as follows:

• Builders/Developers - $1,000
• Renovators - $700
• Professionals/Suppliers/Trades - $600

Tiered Fee

The tiered fee model provides a breakdown of builder/developer members into further categories based on number of units, with an annual flat fee charged for each category.  The proposed rates are as follows:

Builder/Developers

• Ultra (151 plus units) - $5,000
• Large (101-150 units) - $3,000
• Medium (51-100 units) - $1,500
• Small (11-50 units) - $1,000
• Custom - $500

Renovators - $600

Professionals/Suppliers/Trades - $500

Rebate

OHBA fees are paid with every local HBA that you are a member of.  For example, if you belong to three local home builders' associations, you would pay the OHBA fees three times.  To account for this, OHBA is proposing that under the new fee structure, members who join multiple locals will receive a rebate directly from OHBA.  The proposed rebate is:

• 20% for 2-5 local memberships
• 22.5% for 6-10 local memberships
• 25% for 11-22 local memberships

Response to OHBA

DRHBA's board of directors is looking for feedback from members on OHBA's proposed fee increase.  This feedback will be used to create DRHBA's official response to OHBA.  Members can send their feedback to Stacey or you can take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2ND2QRZ.  

Your voice matters!  Please provide your feedback to ensure that your voice is heard.

The Township of Scugog is currently in the midst of a Development Charge Background Study.  Their current DC by-law will expire on May 28, 2024.

The Township has retained the services of Hemson Consulting Ltd. to prepare the background study.  A high-level overview was provided to council on January 15th.

An informal open house to present the high-level information prior to the release of the background study will be held on Friday, February 2, 2024 in council chambers at 181 Perry Street, second floor in Port Perry, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The background study will be released on February 22, 2024 and a public meeting will be held on March 5, 2024.  Council is planning on passing the new by-law on April 22, 2024.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacey.

The Municipality of Clarington is reviewing its building permit fees, within the building by-law, as a requirement under the Building Code Act.

The Municipality is projecting the providing building code services will cost $3,667,600 in 2024.

In accordance with the provisions of the Building Code Act, the Municipality is proposing an increase of 8.99 per cent for building permit fees and inspection fees as of March 1, 2024.  This represents an increase from $15.33 to $16.71 per square metre for a single family dwelling.

The Municipality believes that this increase will ensure that building permit revenue covers all direct and indirect costs to the Municipality in delivering these services, based on projected trends and building data.  The increase is also projected to contribute to the reserve fund, which would be used to maintain services during an economic downturn.

A public meeting will be held on Monday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. You can join in person or virtually.

To participate virtually, please pre-register by completing the online form at www.clarington.net/delegations, by calling 905-623-3379 ext. 2109 or emailing clerks@clarington.net by February 9, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.  You do not need to pre-register as a delegate in order to speak in person.

Written comments can be sent to Brent Rice at brice@clarington.net or to Stacey before the public meeting.