Ottawa's mayoral race is heating up, and one candidate is putting housing front and centre. Alex Lawson has unveiled a detailed housing and homelessness plan that takes direct aim at one of the biggest barriers to new development in the city: the cost of building.
Cutting Fees to Unlock Development
At the heart of Lawson's proposal is a commitment to reduce municipal building fees — the charges developers pay to the city when they apply for permits and approvals. These fees, while intended to offset infrastructure costs, have long been cited by builders and housing advocates as a meaningful contributor to the overall expense of constructing new homes in Ottawa.
By bringing those fees down, Lawson argues the city can make it more financially viable for developers to break ground on new projects, potentially accelerating the pace of housing construction at a time when Ottawa — like most major Canadian cities — is grappling with a serious affordability crunch.
Homelessness and Shelter Safety
Beyond market-rate construction, the plan also addresses Ottawa's shelter system. Lawson says his platform includes measures to improve safety within the city's shelters — a priority that advocates for people experiencing homelessness have pushed for in recent years.
Shelter safety has been an ongoing concern in Ottawa, with community organizations and residents raising issues around capacity, conditions, and security at existing facilities. Lawson's plan signals an intent to tackle that side of the housing equation alongside the supply-side construction push.
The Broader Housing Picture in Ottawa
Ottawa is in the middle of a prolonged housing crisis that has seen rents climb and vacancy rates remain stubbornly low. The city has set ambitious targets for new housing units under provincial guidelines, but supply has struggled to keep pace with demand — particularly for affordable and purpose-built rental housing.
Municipal levers like development charges and permit fees are increasingly in the spotlight as cities look for ways to incentivize construction without downloading costs onto existing taxpayers. Lawson's proposal fits into a broader national conversation about what local governments can do to chip away at housing costs.
What It Means for Ottawa Voters
With the mayoral race underway, housing is shaping up to be one of the defining issues on the ballot. Lawson's plan gives Ottawa voters a concrete policy platform to evaluate — one that links affordability, development incentives, and shelter support under a single framework.
As other candidates roll out their own platforms, expect housing to remain a central flashpoint. For Ottawans feeling the squeeze of high rents or watching the shelter system strain under demand, how candidates plan to tackle these interconnected problems will matter.
More details on Lawson's full platform are expected in the weeks ahead as the campaign continues.
Source: CBC Ottawa
