The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) has released an updated report that sheds new light on critical delays in the site plan approval process and their costly impact on Ontario’s housing supply.

The OAA, which regulates the practice of architecture in the province, commissioned Altus Group for the study, updating previous reports in 2013 and 2018.

The findings reflect the urgent need for policy reform to reduce housing-related delays and related consumer costs amidst the backdrop of Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 and other legislation.

The report reveals that Ontario municipalities are taking an average of 23 months to review site plan applications—far exceeding the provincially mandated 60-day timeline. These delays are having significant financial repercussions. For a 100-unit apartment building, site plan holdups result in additional monthly costs ranging from $230,000 to $299,000, placing further strain on developers and potential homeowners alike.

Estimates of the annual value of building permits requiring site plan approval across Ontario suggest that the broken Site Plan Approval process is costing approximately $3.5 billion annually in lost opportunities and inefficiencies.

The OAA says this marks a staggering increase from the $900 million estimated in 2018.

“These findings highlight an urgent need to streamline the site plan application process across Ontario to address the province’s housing crisis,” says Ted Wilson, president of the OAA’s governing council. “Meaningful policy changes are necessary to ensure municipalities adhere to timelines and build the housing supply Ontarians urgently need.”

The OAA says it will leverage these insights to inform discussions with government stakeholders, advocating for targeted reforms that will expedite approvals, reduce costs, and encourage timely housing development.