City planning committee approves speeding up zoning changes to allow shelters in more neighbourhoods

Ottawa City Hall (CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa’s Planning and Housing Committee has approved a motion that would loosen zoning rules for emergency and transitional shelters.

Kichissippi Ward Coun. Jeff Leiper, chair of the committee, put forward the motion that would permit shelters in all urban zones. The motion passed with a vote of 10 yeas to one nay, with Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo the sole objector.

“Our Official Plan says that shelter use will be permitted in all our zones and until we change the comprehensive zoning bylaw, I’m worried about a disconnect between what the current zoning in our city says versus what the Official Plan says,” said Leiper.

The motion directs staff to bring forward an amendment to the zoning bylaw that would permit shelter use in all urban zones in the city. Leiper moved the motion to bring the current bylaws in line with the Official Plan in advance of a comprehensive bylaw review later this year.

“If someone moves forward with a shelter use rezoning, it is really black-and-white on us, that if it’s just the change of use, that we have to approve it,” Leiper explained. “That’s what our Official Plan says. We don’t have grounds to refuse things if the Official Plan doesn’t give us those grounds.”

The City of Ottawa says amending the bylaw would help ensure it is better placed to take advantage of federal and provincial funding that might be offered in 2025 to address the housing and homelessness emergency.

Leiper said the current situation in the United States could mean a potential increase in people seeking to move to Canada.

“We’re going to have to be nimble over the course of the next year and ensuring that our zoning is not a hurdle to putting a new shelter in is going to be critical,” he said.

The motion explicitly excludes 40 Heart Way in Kanata, the site near the Eagleson Park & Ride that was selected for the possible future use as a newcomer reception centre for asylum seekers if the proposed structure on Woodroffe Avenue, near the Nepean Sportsplex, proves insufficient to meet demand. Should the city decide to move ahead with placing a shelter there, specifically, it would be required to go through the process to rezone the land for shelter use.

Lo attempted to move a motion that would have added two other sites previously considered by the city for Sprung structures — 1005/1045 Greenbank Rd. and 3311 Woodroffe Ave. — to the list of properties that would need to specifically seek rezoning before a shelter could be approved. It was defeated by a vote of 10 nays to one yea, with Lo the only voice in favour.

Lo also suggested the suburbs be removed from the motion, limiting shelters to the downtown, inner urban and outer urban areas only. That amendment was also defeated 10 nays to one yea.

Lo said he felt Leiper’s motion would expand the shelter system, but Leiper pointed out that what he is proposing is already part of the Official Plan and would be brought into effect eventually.

“This isn’t something new. I’m proposing to accelerate something we were going to do anyways because our city is in a housing crisis,” he said. “It’s the Official Plan. I strongly recommend people read it.”

The motion must still be approved by city council on Feb. 12.