Homes
Seniors want to stay. Young families want to come. The rules decide what gets built for them and for the people who work here, and who gets to live in it.
What we know
- On a house lot with town water and sewer, Ontario law protects up to three homes. That means the house and two more units. Source: Planning Act, s.35.1.
- Our zoning allows one extra unit on a lot. In January 2024, a consultant told Council the by-law lagged a 2022 Ontario housing law. Source: Zoning By-law s.3.41; Council agenda 23 Jan 2024.
- The County's new Official Plan passed. Now the Township must update its zoning anyway. Source: Council minutes 25 Aug 2026.
- Water has more room than sewer: about 211 more homes, or 939 with two new wells. Source: Council agenda 27 Jan 2026, p.117.
What I'll work to pass
- Finish the second-suite rules to match Ontario law. Add a one-page guide and a fast yes.
Who decides: Council alone. - A plan for Norwood's next neighbourhoods, with townhomes and apartments, not just houses. Smaller homes let seniors stay and young families buy in.
Who decides: the County writes it. Council asks, and the mayor sits at County Council. - Township land for non-profit homes. Lease it below market. Waive the Township's taxes and fees. First, a by-law sets out what "affordable" means.
Who decides: Council alone. Source: Municipal Act, s.110. - Rental rules with teeth. Set fines by the day, wherever the law allows. Check rental buildings without waiting for a complaint. Go inside a home only if the tenant says yes. If an owner cuts heat, water or power, the Township turns it back on and bills the owner.
Who decides: Council alone. Source: Building Code Act, s.15.2 and s.16; Residential Tenancies Act, s.216. - Protect the homes we have. In the village, no one tears down a home without Council's yes, unless the new one has its permit. A building with six or more rentals needs a permit first. That goes for tearing it down or turning it into condos.
Who decides: Council alone. Source: Planning Act, s.33; Municipal Act, s.99.1. - Work toward rental licences the Township can pull. Owners log each rent change. If a hike drives a tenant out, the tenant can take that log to the Province's tenancy board. If it finds harassment, the Township pulls the licence. No tenant loses a home over it.
Who decides: Council, with legal advice. Source: Municipal Act, s.151.