Huntsville Committee approves new Housing Action Plan
Huntsville Committee approved a new Housing Action Plan, in the March 27, 2025, General meeting.
A Housing Needs Assessment was presented last December that prompted a look at community needs, identified gaps and suggestions for actions.
As a result, staff reported priorities to address both sale and rental housing markets, including partnerships, such as with the Muskoka Community Land Trust, and a focus on workforce and seniors housing and multiple-residential development in the urban centre which is close to employment and community services.
Their report adds, “Staff suggest to all proponents to increase density, look at including rental units and/or affordable units, incorporate smaller unit sizes and a mix of units.”
Other considerations include providing funding opportunities to developers through the Muskoka Affordable Housing Initiatives Program (MAHIP), Affordable Housing Rebate Program, and Development Charge Deferral Agreements.
Staff also encouraged discussions about promoting new housing development and expansion on supporting infrastructure on Huntsville lands north of the Town.
Their report added that for lands with approvals already in place for lower density developments in serviced lands within the Urban Settlement Area “staff are working to support the District staff in allowing such approvals to lapse.”
They explain, “This ultimately allows the Town to encourage owners of such lands to explore more compact development forms on the lands.”
They’re also encouraging more housing in existing service areas “exploring opportunities for height and density increases in Huntsville’s Urban Settlement Area.”
Educating and encouraging the public about adding secondary/accessory residential units to their existing properties or building with a lot levy exemption is also under consideration.
Staff recommendations to implement some of the Town goals, include:
- Restricting new short-term rental (STR) licences for a year to encourage long-term rentals instead, remove them as “accessory” use, and a review of STR fines.
- Update the Community Planning Permit By-law to permit Secondary Residential Dwelling Units (SRDU) with a detached structure and eliminate development charges for them.
- Update the Affordable Housing Policy and pre-approve duplex/semi-detached dwelling drawings.
- Reduce parking requirements for multi-residential affordable rental developments.
- Permit four-plexes on urban served lots, and possibly in rural areas.
Staff also recommended that the Town’s Official Plan require affordable units in each development, restricting rental conversions to condominiums, require a mix of housing types, encourage smaller dwelling units, expand transit access, and create a ‘renoviction’ by-law requiring landlords to obtain a licence prior to starting renovation work if the tenant is required to move (to streamline legitimacy) and provide the tenant with alternative accommodation or compensation.
Committee agreed with the recommendations presented by staff, however, some expressed concerns about whether allowing 4 plexes in rural areas is feasible given the costs of septic systems, wells, and what kind of footprint it will result in.
Staff agreed to investigate further information about 4 plexes and report back about it, along with bringing a report forward about policy changes for the above revisions.
They added that next steps will also include a public hearing about the recommended initiatives.
