The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods is a province-wide volunteer-based umbrella organization of community and neighbourhood associations. We promote awareness of urban issues, undertake projects which will enhance quality of life for residents of urban settings, maintain a resource base for information, share expertise, represent the common interests of member organizations before public and private bodies as well as to encourage citizens to actively participate in and become informed about community and civic affairs.
NEWS
Ford criticizes Ottawa’s funding for dense, affordable housing
Last week Ford accused the federal Liberal government of stepping on the toes of provinces and municipalities by bringing forward the national Housing Accelerator Fund which allows Ottawa to work directly with municipalities on housing starts—3.5 million of which are needed across the country by 2030 according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation—and has already seen some success since its conception earlier this year.
Leaked letter to mayors suggests PCs learned little from Greenbelt scandal
ust weeks after revelations of impropriety forced the Ontario government to reverse its imposition of corrupt settlement boundary expansions on unwilling City and Regional governments, a leaked letter from Municipal Affairs Minister Paul Calandra, dated November 2, 2023, suggests that the Premier and Cabinet ministers are doubling down and trying to make the mayors of lower-tier municipalities accomplices to the scandal by having them rubber-stamp the government’s forced farm, forest and wetland eating boundary expansions.
Annual General Meeting
We invite all interested members of community resident organizations to attend the Annual General Meeting and the Roundtable event. Any number of representatives from your organization may attend these events.
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods (Ontario) is called for and will be held virtually on the 18th day of November, 2023, at 2:00 pm for the following purposes:
- To approve the minutes of the June 2022 Annual General Meeting;
- To receive the President’s Report;
- To receive the Treasurer’s Report;
Did we actually win?
Reviewing the Greenbelt and boundary reversals and the path ahead for Ontario’s Environment
On November 16th, join Environmental Defence and Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition to review recent changes in Ontario’s environmental policies and opportunities for future wins.
With the frenzied pace of announcements and reversals in the last month – you may be asking: did we actually win? The short answer is: yes. Returning lands back to the Greenbelt and reversing boundary expansions were big wins and we should celebrate them – but, the fight continues. The bad news is that rather than cutting its losses, the Ontario Government seems to be plotting a renewed attack.
FUN opposes proposed changes to Ontario’s land use planning framework
On April 6, 2023, the Ontario Government announced new components of its Housing Supply Action Plan, which seeks to encourage the construction of 1.5 million homes by 2031. Two key elements of the announcement are the introduction of Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023, which is currently at second reading stage in the Ontario Legislature, and the release of a draft Provincial Planning Statement, 2023 (the “Statement”), which is out for public comment until June 5, 2023. The Statement, if it is adopted by the Province, will replace A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe(“Growth Plan”) and the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (“PPS, 2020”).
Under the new draft Planning Statement, density targets have been watered down or eliminated altogether, and municipalities given flexibility to expand their boundaries. This change is expected to remove the requirement for municipalities to prioritize infill development before expanding urban boundaries to overrun natural lands.
FUN Presentation on Bill 97
The legislative changes relating to land use planning passed by the current government under Bills 3, 23, 108, and 109, among others, have resulted in:
- a massive overhaul of the land use planning process and heritage and environmental protection,
- a new set of directives focussed on supply, rather than demand for homes,
- reduced the role of duly elected municipal councils, and
- eliminated appeals by residents who devote their time and energy to contribute to their communities’ development.
We now have Bill 97, another omnibus bill dealing with land use planning and landlord and tenant matters.
The tenant protection measures in Bill 97 are a mixed bag – some welcome, some concerning.
The land use planning measures are welcome if you are a land developer, but otherwise very concerning to Ontario residents.
An assessment of Ontario public opinion regarding Bill 23
On-line survey research was conducted in the period December 2022 to March 2023, to assess Ontario public opinion regarding the recent measures by the Government of Ontario related to Bill 23 and its potential impact on housing and the Greenbelt.
The on-line survey research was carried out independently by SPR, an expert survey research group and not funded by government or other sources. Dozens of NGOs and community organizations from across Ontario participated in the stakeholder portion of the survey.
The results show widespread opposition in Ontario to the Government’s Bill 23 and measures affecting the Greenbelt and affordable housing.
Seventy-eight organizations province-wide oppose changes to Greenbelt
We, the 78 undersigned organizations, are strongly opposed to the Ontario Government’s proposal to remove 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt. Opening these lands to development would destroy vital wildlife corridors, negatively impact woodlands, wetlands and watercourses, and result in the loss of over 5,000 acres of farmland. The government’s rationale – that these lands are needed for housing – is unfounded and untrue. We urge you not to proceed with this proposal for the reasons outlined below.
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Advocacy
FUN advocates on behalf of a large group of community organizations and ratepayer groups. Working together, our voices are heard by our legislators. See our latest position papers and letters.
Resources
From Land Use Planning Guides, to guidance on how to oppose local variances, to successful fundraising, we have plenty of resources and invite you to explore!