Helping Small and Rural Municipalities Better Deliver Services for People
News.ontario.ca
February 25, 2020
Today, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced up to $3.9 million to help 42 small and rural municipalities modernize service delivery including ways to speed up the process for approving new housing and commercial developments.
"Our government is thrilled to invest in so many local projects focussed on making it faster and easier to build new housing and help attract and grow businesses," said Minister Clark. "We're going to keep working in partnership with municipalities to help them improve processes to focus on the vital programs and services Ontarians rely on."
The funding is provided through the Municipal Modernization Program and will support a range of projects, including helping municipalities streamline their local development approval processes and modernize permitting systems. For example, the Town of Aurora will review the process people must follow when applying for land use planning approvals with a goal of improving timelines and finding savings for residents, businesses and the town.
Up to $125 million is available until 2022-23 through the Municipal Modernization Program. The government remains committed to working with our municipal partners to create a more competitive business climate and deliver smarter government services for people and businesses across the province.
Quick Facts
- More than 300 projects were submitted under the first intake of the Municipal Modernization Program and proposals continue to be reviewed.
- Ontario is already providing up to $2.6 million for 27 joint projects that will help approximately 130 small and rural municipalities improve services for residents and businesses and lower costs in the longer term.
