Key Objectives

The City of Pickering’s Housing Strategy Study provides a framework to ensure the City can support a supply of suitable (as it relates to the size of the household), adequate (as it relates to physical condition), and affordable (as it relates to household income) housing for all ages and abilities within its jurisdiction. This also ensures that the City meets the housing needs to support a diverse workforce.

The Pickering Housing Strategy Study included the following:

• Identify housing priorities, policy alternatives, including recommendations for official plan policies and zoning regulations, and allocation of City resources;

• Develop a baseline database of the City’s demographic profile, socio-economic characteristics of households and housing stock;

• Develop a protocol for regular updating of the database;

• Identify expected population and employment growth over the next ten years that will influence future housing needs;

• Analyze the data and trends to identify the City’s housing needs and gaps;

• Identify and examine the current policy and legislative context that influences the provision of housing, affordable housing and age friendly housing in the City;

• Identify and examine the roles, responsibilities, and interrelationships between the City, the Regional Municipality of Durham and other levels of government, and the private and not-for-profit sector;

• Recommend an Action Plan that identifies actions that the City may undertake to ensure an appropriate balance of housing types and tenure that meet the needs of a complete, prosperous community; and
• Recommend a Monitoring Plan that will regularly update and review the baseline data set with the goal of identifying whether or not the goals and objectives of the Housing Strategy are being met, and if any modifications to the Action Plan are necessary to ensure that the goals and objectives of the Housing Strategy are met.

Reports, Videos & Other Documents

Project Initiation:

Report PLN 05-20

Pickering Housing Strategy Study and Association of Municipalities of Ontario Report titled “Fixing the Housing Affordability Crisis, Municipal Recommendations for Housing in Ontario”

Phase 1: 

In Phase 1 of the Study, City staff determined the housing gaps within the City, hosted a public open house, met with stakeholders, and reported to Planning & Development Committee.

• Notice of Public Open House 1 - January 21, 2021
• January 21, 2021 Slide Presentation 
• You can watch a recording of the Public Open House 1, which includes the pre-recorded presentation on the City's YouTube channel.
• Stakeholders Meeting - February 25, 2021
• Report PLN 11-21 - March 1, 2021 status update report to Planning & Development Committee
• March 17, 2021 presentation to the Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee

• Phase 1: Research and Gap Analysis Report

Phase 2:

In Phase 2 of the Study, City staff prepared the Draft Housing Strategy & Action Plan, hosted a public open house, and reported to Planning & Development Committee.

• Notice of Public Open House 2 - April 29, 2021
• Draft Action Plan
• You can watch a recording of the Public Open House 2 on the City's YouTube channel.
• May 19, 2021 presentation to the Pickering Accessibility Advisory Committee
• Report PLN 28-21 - June 7, 2021 status update report to Planning & Development Committee
• Phase 2: Draft Housing Strategy Study & Action Plan, September 30, 2021

Phase 3:

In Phase 3 of the Study, City staff incorporated appropriate modifications to the Phase 2: Draft Housing Strategy & Action Plan, and presented the Recommended Housing Strategy & Action Plan to Planning & Development Committee on January 10, 2022.

• Notice of Planning & Development Committee - January 10, 2022

• View Recommendation Report PLN 02-22
• View Phase 3: Recommended Housing Strategy & Action Plan

Recommendation Report PLN 02-22 was considered by Planning & Development Committee on January 10, 2022. The Committee added a new Action Item 3.8 to the Recommended Housing Strategy & Action Plan. 

At its meeting on January 24, 2022, Council adopted the Pickering Housing Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2031, and authorized staff to implement the actions identified in the plan.