Inclusionary housing programs are municipal programs that rely upon the development regulations and approval process to have private developers provide some portion of the housing within their new market projects as affordable housing.
The policies represent a fundamentally different way to providing affordable housing from the conventional social housing programs used to date in Canada. While not all affordable housing programs are the same, in the main they adhere to the following characteristics:
- providing housing affordable on a permanent basis to a wider mix of incomes in all new residential developments and, thereby, a more affordable range of housing across the entire community.
- engaging the private developers to build and provide the units at a price or rent well below what the market would otherwise provide.
- establishing fixed and non-negotiable rules regarding the affordable housing obligation so that all developers are treated in a consistent and equitable way.
- relying on concessions available through the regulatory process (like density bonuses and fee rebates) – and not financial subsidies – to reduce the cost burden on the developers for providing the affordable housing.
The Wellesley Institute identified Inclusionary Housing and Inclusionary Zoning as tools that can be used to increase the supply of affordable housing in its Blueprint to End Homeless in 2007.
In 2008 we brought together over 150 activists, planners and policy makers at a day long forum to learn more about this innovative tool.
Since then we have been active with the Inclusionary Housing Working Group, doing research and developing policy tools to help shape a “Made in Canada” approach to Inclusionary Housing.
For more information see the Inclusionary Housing Working Group website.