BRAMPTON – The City is emphasizing the urgent need for consideration by the provincially appointed Transition Board to ensure the dissolution of the Region of Peel does not hinder Brampton’s growth or put additional financial pressure on Brampton residents.
The City announced seven specific examples of housing applications currently delayed due to regional servicing constraints. These projects alone would create a total of 9,368 housing units, which accounts for 83% of the City’s annual targets set by the Province of Ontario:
• 263 Queen St. East: Six towers ranging between 29-46 storeys with 2,810 units. Reason for delay: No Sanitary Sewer Capacity.
• 241 Queen St. East: Four 35-storey residential towers with 1,586 units. Reason for delay: No Sanitary Sewer Capacity.
• 1685 & 1710 Queen St. East: 704 residential units in two high-rise towers connected with a 5-storey podium. Reason for delay: Holding symbol on zoning due to sewer capacity.
• 227 Vodden Street: Master Plan redevelopment of Centennial Mall with 2,551 units. Reason for delay: No Sanitary Sewer Capacity.
• 249 Queen St. East: 38-storey Residential Building with 435 units. Reason for delay: No Sanitary Sewer Capacity.
• 253 Queen St. East: Two high-rise buildings (33 and 38 storeys) with 652 residential units. Reason for delay: No Sanitary Sewer Capacity.
• 137 Steeles Avenue West: Development of 630 apartment units restricted by sanitary and water servicing capacity limitations, allowing only the first phase to proceed.
The delay in the progress of these applications underlines the urgent need to address regional servicing constraints and ensure a thriving housing market and economic growth in Brampton. In January, the Region of Peel presented Regional Council with forecasts indicating that $20.4 billion is needed in capital expenditures for servicing costs to meet provincial housing targets in Peel between 2023 and 2032. This significant investment, which excludes property acquisition and other soft costs, exceeds the Region’s planned 10-year capital budget by more than double.
Recent data from the 2021 census revealed that 90% of the net population growth in Peel Region occurred in Brampton, making it clear that the city is a destination for immigration and requires adequate infrastructure to support this level of growth. Despite approving more than 8,000 new residential building applications annually for the past three years and issuing an average of 5,000 permits for Two Unit Dwellings, the City continues to face challenges due to regional servicing constraints that hinder its ability to fully unleash the Brampton’s potential.
On May 18, 2023, the province introduced Bill 112, The Hazel McCallion Act. The Bill is currently at Third Reading in the Ontario Legislature as of June 7, 2023. If passed, this Act will dissolve the Regional Municipality of Peel effective January 1, 2025, and make Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga single-tier municipalities.
“The Region confirmed earlier this year that the cost to achieve housing targets would cost $20.4B over 10 years across the municipalities. Brampton has historically invested heavily in its neighbours’ infrastructure and is now relying on that support being reciprocated as we see explosive growth within our borders. Regional servicing constraints are placing important housing projects on hold, hindering our ability to meet Ontario’s housing targets and stifling economic growth. It is imperative we address these constraints to ensure Brampton’s development remains on track.” – Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton