Housing Strategy

Greater diversity in the housing stock

In order to provide greater housing diversity, we will:

• amend the Official Plan to allow for a wider ranger of housing types
• amend the Zoning By-law to add to existing residential zones and/or create new residential zones
• prioritize infrastructure investments that promote a mix of dwelling types

Need for more rental housing

Wasaga Beach has a need for rental housing to support seniors, young adults and low-income households who cannot afford to own a home. In order to provide more rental housing, we will:

• bring in a new multi-residential tax class with a rate equal to the residential rate to encourage the development of new rental properties
• work with local builders/developers to encourage the development of rental housing

Need for affordable rental housing

The high cost of renting and the small amount of social housing in Wasaga Beach, has created a need for low-income rental housing. In order to promote affordable rental housing, we will:

• work with the County of Simcoe to encourage the federal and provincial government s to fund affordable housing initiatives
• provide incentives for new affordable rental housing 
• fast track approvals for development proposals that include affordable rental housing
• encourage existing developers and builders of housing to consider offering a portion of their housing as affordable 
• review landholding to determine if any land can be used for affordable rental housing
• encourage interested community organizations to look at their resources and land to contribute to the creation of affordable housing

Alternative housing for seniors

Alternative forms of housing are needed in the community to support seniors. To provide seniors housing, we will:

• encourage the development of condominiums and low-rise rental apartment buildings suitable for seniors
• examine the Town's Official Plan and Zoning By-law for senior housing opportunities
• examine the potential for a life-lease project in partnership with a local non-profit organization
• explore potential support and partnerships with a non-profit or publicly owned developer to build a retirement home that is affordable to low and moderate income seniors
• encourage the development long-term care facility
• examine the potential to provide flexibility in the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to encourage "aging in place"
• recognize the need for additional support services in the community for seniors and other special needs groups
• monitor and improve the public transit system for seniors including accessible transportation to support seniors housing and affordable housing
• continue to work with the County of Simcoe, the North Simcoe-Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and local agencies to ensure support services are provided to meeting the needs of seniors
• monitor the needs for supportive seniors housing and work with County of Simcoe and the North Simcoe-Muskoka Local Health Integration Network for funding of senior accommodations 

Affordable housing for ownership

In order to provide opportunities for residents to purchase a home in Wasaga beach, we need to provide affordable housing options. We will do this by:

• encouraging builders to provide affordable options such as the approaches taken by Habitat for Humanity, providing down payment assistance and shared appreciation mortgages
• requesting that housing developers provide approximate price ranges for the new housing being proposed
• considering an inclusionary zoning approach where developers are required to include a minimum percentage of their development as affordable housing

Seasonal commercial properties

Accessory dwelling units

Special needs housing

Residential intensification and Greenfield density targets

The Housing Study recommends that the Town of Wasaga Beach amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to:

• identify the intensification and Greenfield density targets and ensure that dwelling types and building regulations support the achievements of these targets
• designate intensification areas where redevelopments to medium and high density residential housing is permitted in the Official Plan

Setting affordable housing targets

Monitoring the Housing Strategy

In order to monitor the Housing Strategy, we recommend:

• creating a housing committee made up of community representatives and Town officials to advise Council on the Housing Strategy
• collaborate with other municipal governments to share information and best practices on affordable housing