Building a Better North Bay One Home at a Time
Over the past four years, I've knocked on thousands of doors across North Bay. I've heard concerns about taxes, roads, safety, and the cost of living. Consistently, one issue comes up more than almost any other, and that’s housing.
Young adults wonder if they'll ever be able to move out on their own, families are feeling stretched by rising costs, renters are paying more and getting less choice, and seniors are looking for housing that better fits their needs.
When safe, well-maintained, affordable housing is out of reach, the effects are felt across our entire community. After all, how can we expect people to fully participate in our economy, raise families, pursue education, or contribute to our community if they don't have a place to live that they can afford?
That's why housing became one of my top priorities when I was elected to City Council in 2022. We still have a long way to go, but we're starting to see progress.
Before I highlight the progress made by the City, I'd like to clarify the City's role. The City helps create the conditions for housing through planning, policies, partnerships, and infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer services. Many affordable housing and homelessness programs are delivered by DNSSAB, which serves as the local service manager in the District of Nipissing. While the City and DNSSAB have different responsibilities, our roles are complementary. Both are important in addressing housing need, and we must continue working together to achieve our shared goals.
Over the past term, Council updated housing policies to encourage more homes within existing neighbourhoods, expand opportunities for different types of housing, and make better use of underutilized City-owned land. Growth works best when we make the most of what we already have. Building more homes in established neighbourhoods allows us to use roads, water systems, transit, parks, and community services more efficiently while delivering better value for taxpayers.
These efforts helped North Bay bring in $10.6 million through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, supporting apartment buildings, affordable housing projects, basement apartments, smaller homes, and other housing initiatives across the city.
Progress can be measured, and we're seeing it. Since 2023, North Bay has issued 648 housing permits, a 46% increase over the previous Council term. We exceeded provincial housing targets every year, which earned the City an additional $1 million in provincial funding.
That’s not all. We also worked to make building easier. The introduction of the CityWide Portal modernized the permitting process, reducing red tape and creating a more accessible system for builders and landowners. Applications, payments, permit tracking, and information can now be accessed online 24/7, making the process more efficient for residents while allowing staff to focus on reviewing and processing applications faster.
More housing helps, but we also need homes that people can actually afford. We introduced more changes to encourage smaller, more attainable homes, such as waiving and significantly reducing development charges on homes under 1,500 square feet. The City also worked with DNSSAB to advance three major affordable housing projects that account for more than 140 new affordable units. Many of these homes are already under construction and will help seniors, families, and individuals facing some of the greatest housing challenges find housing they can afford.
The housing crisis won't be solved by any one project or one term of Council, but we’re moving in the right direction. The good news is that North Bay still has two years remaining under the Housing Accelerator Fund, which means more work is underway and more progress is ahead. There are lots of great ideas and many are being explored, such as small, modular homes.
To keep that momentum going, we'll need to work together as a Council and continue collaborating with upper levels of government, DNSSAB, builders, landlords, housing providers, community organizations, and residents.
Council needs to remember that when we talk about housing, we're really talking about people. People’s ability to stay and thrive in our community. The question isn't whether North Bay can afford to prioritize housing. The real question is whether we can afford not to.
Justine Mallah
North Bay City Councillor Candidate
