Construction cranes seldom wait for bureaucracy, yet in Simcoe County, red tape has long dictated the pace of housing. That may be about to change.
On November 3, 2025, Simcoe County signalled a turning point in its approach to local housing by launching a strategy designed to break the bottleneck in development approvals. Known as the Housing ASAP initiative, the region’s latest effort aims to tackle the acute shortage of affordable homes, a problem that has left many residents priced out of their own communities.
At the heart of this plan is a new Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) Template, crafted in collaboration with the county’s 16 municipalities. The system promises to condense zoning bylaw amendments, minor variances, and site plan control into a single, streamlined process. Planscape Incorporated, the consultant leading the process, will soon present how the CPPS can cut through procedural complexity without sacrificing public input or local priorities.
Flexibility is a selling point. Municipalities will have the authority to set conditions related to affordable housing, urban design, green space, and even environmental safeguards. The emphasis, officials maintain, is on efficiency balanced with accountability—a model that gives local governments tools to respond to rising demand without undermining neighbourhood character.
The county has mapped out a three-stage approach: launch and background review, consultation with draft documents, and finally, adoption of the model Official Plan Amendment and Community Planning Permit bylaw. Residents are being invited to offer feedback at an information session on November 24 at the Simcoe County Administration Centre in Midhurst.
Local leaders contend that, once the CPPS bylaw is finalized, municipalities will be able to issue development permits faster and more transparently, bringing much-needed homes to market with less bureaucratic friction. The stakes are high: for families scraping for affordable housing and for communities determined to maintain their unique identity while welcoming growth.
Simcoe County’s willingness to reevaluate long-standing processes is more than administrative housekeeping—it’s an acknowledgment that finding a home shouldn’t feel like winning the lottery. The region will soon learn whether speed and fairness can, at last, coexist on the road to new homes.
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Simcoe County launches new plan to speed up housing development
