Analysis of municipal decisions shows that only about two percent [2] of Ontario's "strong-mayor" powers were used to build housing.
The findings suggest a significant gap between the provincial government's intent to solve the housing crisis and the actual application of these authorities. While the powers were designed to bypass red tape and accelerate construction, the data indicates they are being used for other municipal purposes.
Premier Doug Ford's government expanded these powers in 2022 [1]. The legislation granted expanded authority to 216 Ontario mayors [1], which included 170 new municipalities added to the existing system [1].
Researchers tracked 4,242 mayoral decisions [4] across these 216 cities [4] to determine how the expanded authority was being utilized. The goal of the Ford government was to speed up the creation of new homes to address the province's housing shortage [3].
However, the vast majority of the 4,242 decisions did not relate to housing starts [2]. The results indicate that the legislative shift toward centralized mayoral power has not translated into a significant increase in new homes [3].
By granting these powers, the province aimed to reduce the time required for approvals, and override local council opposition to high-density projects. Despite this, the data shows the powers are rarely applied to the specific goal of increasing housing supply [2].
“Only about 2% of Ontario's "strong-mayor" powers were used to build housing.”
The discrepancy between the 2022 legislative intent and the actual usage of strong-mayor powers suggests that the primary obstacles to housing construction in Ontario may not be municipal red tape or council deadlock. If mayors possess the legal authority to accelerate housing but choose not to do so in 98% of their decisions, the housing shortage may be driven by factors beyond local governance, such as zoning constraints, financing, or labor shortages.
