Thanks to the efforts of RAHB volunteers who met with Hamilton City Councillors and staff and worked with members of the Hamilton and District Apartment Association to find an alternative to rental housing licensing, rental licensing in Hamilton has been placed on the back burner.
RAHB’s Communications/Government Relations Committee Chair Donna Bacher made a presentation on RAHB’s behalf to the City of Hamilton Planning Committee, opposing rental housing licensing. Donna was one of about 20 delegations to speak to the Committee on September 17.
Hamilton City Staff had recommended a program of rental property licensing beginning in 2017 and a program of continued proactive enforcement of the City’s zoning and property standards bylaws. RAHB’s position was that rental housing licensing would adversely affect the affordability of rental housing and tenants in need of affordable housing; the City would be better to adopt standards in the Ontario Building Code for second units and to defer a decision about licensing until the new zoning bylaw is completed.
The Planning Committee recommended that licensing be placed on the back burner and that proactive enforcement continue, with additional City staff.
Hamilton City Council accepted the Planning Committee’s recommendation and licensing has been shelved for the immediate future. Proactive enforcement has been made a permanent program.