Sutcliffe announces plan to build more houses

With one year to go before voters head to the polls in the city’s next municipal election, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is wasting no time making announcements. 

During a press conference on Sept. 19, Sutcliffe said he wants to make Ottawa the most housing-friendly city in the country. He plans to do that by waiving or pausing several fees developers need to pay while making development regulations more flexible. 

In early October, a housing acceleration plan will go before council that will include 53 recommendations. 

Perhaps the biggest change will be a five-year waiver on community benefit charges that developers pay when building multi-residential projects with at least 10 units or more than five storeys. The Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association supports the move, saying such charges can be four per cent of the land's worth. 

But not everyone sees it that way. Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said that money helps fund many key services such as affordable housing, roads, and recreation amenities. He believes council should reject the waiver or run it for less than the five years proposed. 

“These are all the kinds of things that the city doesn't otherwise have money to do after, frankly, years of austerity budgets, but they're the kinds of projects that we need to do to offset the effects of gentrification that intensification is having, and just to make living in a denser taller neighbourhood a little more livable," Leiper told CBC. 

The city hopes such changes will get shovels in the ground quicker for new builds. Since the start of this council term, the City of Ottawa has approved more than 60,000 new homes, yet many projects have faced delays due to high interest rates, rising construction costs, and procedural roadblocks at City Hall. 

• The Auditor General recently highlighted that bottlenecks and inconsistent expectations across City departments have slowed development approvals, reported CTV. 

The need for more affordable housing

Over the past six years, the average resale price of a home has increased by more than 50 per cent, while average rents have risen by 30 per cent, which far outpaces income growth. 

The city says these challenges have intensified pressure on families and contributed to higher demand for food aid services. The Ottawa Food Bank, as an example, has reduced the amount of food it sends to other agencies because of rising costs. Visits to the organization have climbed 90 per cent since 2019, with 556,000 visits for support annually.

Have some thoughts on this story? Want to share some insight with the Lookout community? Share your opinion in our Comment Corner and it could be featured in future newsletters.

OTTAWA GUESSER

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Café Amore is bringing a taste of Italy to the Heart of Orléans. [Orléans BIA]

• Redditors are compiling a list of locations where you can get sourdough starter. [Reddit]

• Jason Sawision of Stofa Restaurant will represent Ottawa at the 2026 Canadian Culinary Championship, held in Ottawa. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Here’s a great story on a local record store in Hintonburg. [Apt613]

• FREE: Is your whippet in need of winter gear? [Reddit]

• Farinella's bomboloni sounds like an Italian brainrot meme (explanation here), but it’s better because it’s a Nutella-stuffed donut. [Ottawa Citizen]

ON THIS DAY

September 24, 1953: Streetcar passengers were shaken up, and traffic on the affected lines was tied up for almost an hour when two trams collided at the corner of Preston and Somerset Streets. Damage was estimated to be at least $5,000. Thankfully, none of the passengers suffered any injuries. 

September 24, 1957: The medical health examiner for the Gatineau District ordered three schools to close after an outbreak of the flu. The chairman of the Aylmer Roman Catholic School Board said 200 students were off sick. Meanwhile, the Alymer Protestant School said 11 per cent of its pupils were absent from class. Other schools reported absences of 20 per cent or more. 

September 24, 1969: Close to 150 taxi cabs milled through Centretown and descended on City Hall to protest against a new taxi licensing bylaw. It allowed taxis to charge 10 cents more per mile, but it came with some limitations, including strict residence requirements for drivers, owners, and fleet brokers. New limits also allowed for no more than four people to be carried in a cab and brought with it higher basic licensing fees. 

Information collected from the Ottawa Citizen archives on newspapers.com

IMAGE OF THE DAY

The balancing rock sculptures at Remic Rapids along the Ottawa River in late August 2025.