Mayoral race heats up over how to build 75,000 new homes in Ottawa

Mark Sutcliffe released his housing policy Friday, committing to approve 75,000 new homes for construction if re-elected October 26, plus 10,000 new affordable homes by 2030. The incumbent mayor's plan centres on cutting bureaucratic red tape, using public lands the city already owns, and improving developer accountability.

Sutcliffe plans to reconvene the Housing Innovation Task Force he launched in 2025, which will review 53 recommendations approved that year and recommend new ways to streamline housing approvals. He'll also consult with other municipalities using AI in development review while maintaining what he calls "a rigorous, human-led review and approval process."

The plan includes creating "opportunity zones" by reducing municipal fees on new buildings and shifting how development charges are collected when the current program expires—cutting downtown charges to spur infill development while ensuring suburban growth pays for all needed services.

At Thursday's mayoral debate organised by the Real Estate Board of Ottawa and Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association, housing and transit dominated. Alex Lawson said transit has failed, noting OC Transpo lost $54 million last year while providing "terrible service." Neil Saravanamuttoo said the city spends "close to a billion dollars a year on a transit system that doesn't work."

Sutcliffe countered that he launched two new LRT lines, increased the transit budget by 30 per cent, and purchased 500 electric buses to replace diesel vehicles. "Transit was a catastrophe," he told debate moderators Nicole Christy and Jason Burggraaf.

On housing taxes, Lawson said he'd introduce a motion to reverse the vacant unit tax if elected, arguing it forces long-time homeowners to rent out part of their homes or move. The tax, approved by council in 2022, generated $12.6 million in revenue that year and identified 3,672 vacant units. Jeff Leiper supports the tax because it funds affordable housing, while Saravanamuttoo said he'd investigate its "pros and cons" before acting. Saravanamuttoo vowed to double non-market housing, saying the city could see an additional 25,000 units if elected, though he didn't set a timeline.

Ottawa's population is projected to grow 500,000 people over the next 25 years.