Public transit can help tackle Canada’s housing crisis: CUTA
The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) recently released a report on the policy intersections between housing and public transit.
The report emphasizes the role of public transit in shaping housing development and improving affordability, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It presents policy recommendations aimed at federal, provincial, and municipal governments, transit agencies and other partners.
The report noted that among Canadian households, transportation and housing are the largest expensitures. The scarcity of housing and the affordability crisis impact all Canadians, with a more pronounced effect on those with lower incomes who heavily depend on public transportation. To enhance the quality of life for Canadians, CUTA has initiated a study to determine how transit and housing policies can work together to improve quality of life for Canadians.
“Housing and transit are often planned separately, resulting in new housing developments with little to no transit services or new transit projects without the residential density to increase ridership,” said CUTA president Marco D’Angelo. “This disjointed approach leads to longer commutes, increased transit operating costs, and reduced progress on other policy goals. Housing and transportation are intertwined, and their solutions must be intertwined as well.”
CUTA addressed five policy themes with the first involving activating land for transit-oriented development (TOD). The second policy encourages housing development near existing transit stations and properties, while the third theme focuses on ensuring inclusivity and proposes that governments incentivize developers of TODs to include rental and affordable housing units.
The fourth policy theme focuses on streamlining approval processes. “Time is of the essence,” said D’Angelo. “It takes far to long for new housing and new transit to get built. Delays are costly and constrain economic and social progress.”
The report recommends coordinated rezoning efforts, which can result in reduced expenses for new rapid transit projects. Additionally, it notes the need for municipalities to expedite the review process of development applications within defined transit-oriented development areas.
The final policy theme seeks to prioritize to transit investments that align with both housing and ridership growth. The proposed federal Permanent Public Transit Fund, scheuled to come online in 2026, presents an opportunity to advance the integration of housing and public transit in Canada. The federal government has indicated that integrating housing supply considerations will be a significant benefit of this program. This can serve as an incentive for provinces and municipalities to enhance housing availability, thus ensuring alignment between public transit and housing demands.
The report’s conclusions were developed through various in-person consultation sessions with municipalities, provincial governments, developers, housing stakeholders and academia were conducted in various cities across Canada.
“Our report is not just a checklist, it’s a call to action,” said D’Angelo, “With a rising population, and ongoing housing supply and affordability issues, inaction is not an option.”