6. Starter Homes for Owner-Occupiers Only
North Bay needs small, simple and attainable starter homes for young families, working people, seniors and first-time buyers. They should be built on suitable serviced or serviceable sites across the city, using pre-approved simple plans and fast-tracked permitting.
Start on City land. City-owned land is where Council holds full authority, so that is where the pilot begins. The City has identified about 10.6 hectares of its own land that could be available for housing.
Owner-occupiers only. Every home created under the program must be the buyer’s primary residence. No corporations. No REITs. No numbered companies. No investor portfolios. No Airbnb conversions.
How the rule holds. A condition written into the deed generally does not bind the next owner in Ontario, so the protection has to be registered on title. Leasing the lots would make the City a landlord for decades, and Ontario’s rules for homes on leased land limit a landlord’s say over who buys or rents the home. The structure I favour:
The buyer owns the lot outright and pays part of the land price up front. The City registers a mortgage on title for the rest.
If the home is sold, rented out or stops being the owner’s primary residence, that amount comes due, with a share of any increase in value.
The home must be built by a deadline, and it cannot be transferred without the City’s consent for a fixed period. If the City allows an early sale, the full gain goes back to the City.
Before any land moves, the City Solicitor confirms the structure, and staff publish what it costs the City: the land value carried, the administration and the expected repayments.
The first pilot will:
Publish the City’s land inventory and select one serviced or serviceable site, screened for servicing capacity, flooding and wildland fire risk
Commission a small set of pre-approved, code-compliant designs and fast-track their permits
Offer the lots to owner-occupiers, including owner-builders, through a transparent lottery or scored application
Publish the all-in numbers: land, servicing, fees, construction and mortgage assumptions
Build the trades at the same time. Nothing gets built without them. BuildForce Canada projects up to 92,000 construction retirements in Ontario by 2035 and a possible shortfall of 27,300 workers. That forecast already counts on 98,800 new workers under 30.
Bring Canadore College, the school boards, Yes Employment Services and the City together so students and trainees build open wall sections in their shops, to the pre-approved plans, for owner-builders, contractors and charity builds. High school students in Halton and Thunder Bay already build small homes as class projects.
Fund it through provincial skills-training programs such as Ontario’s Skills Development Fund.
Ask that City construction tenders include apprentice positions.
Tour the high schools in our area to tell students about careers in the trades.
Cost and funding. A maximum of $150,000, one time, for design, survey, appraisal and legal work. Use Housing Accelerator Fund money only if the federal agreement permits this owner-occupied pilot; otherwise, recover the amount from land-sale proceeds. No general property-tax levy. North Bay was awarded $10.6 million through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, and its existing program already reduces or waives development charges for qualifying entry-level and starter homes. Any road, water or sewer extension gets its own lifecycle cost and cannot be hidden in the home price.
Public measures. Lots released, qualified applicants, permits issued, time from application to permit, homes completed, final all-in price, students trained, and owner-occupancy and resale compliance.