Huron County Senior Planner, Denise Van Amersfoort, provided county council with an update on their Housing Friendly Review at this week's county council meeting.
Van Amersfoort says the objective of the Review is to explore possibilities for streamlining the current development process .
“To get more units built in an efficient manner and we're looking at making changes to the official plan policies and to the zoning provisions, which will allow denser forms of housing to be permitted as of right, which means they would not require a planning approval.”
Van Amersfoort says most people in Huron County are aware of what's happening with housing prices in the county and likely know someone who has been affected by the current housing situation, whether they're looking to buy their first house or hoping to down size to a smaller unit but just can't find anything that's available.
“The purpose of the Housing Friendly Review is to help us build more units, but also more different types of units that are perhaps more catered to our senior population that maybe wants a smaller unit and also housing that is more affordable.”
Van Amersfoort says they'll be rolling out the amendments with local councils this fall and they're urging anyone who has comments, questions or concerns to participate in the online meetings so they understand what the changes will mean for their neighbourhood. She says the meetings will be advertised in each municipality's local newspaper as well as their municipal web site, but she says there will be an open house and a public meeting so people understand the need they're trying to address.
