The City of Greater Sudbury is looking for public input to help complete a housing and homelessness background study as part of its Official Plan review.

Results of the study will help identify and analyze housing and homelessness issues in order to make recommendations on how best to address these needs. The final plan will become part of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Official Plan which will ultimately manage and direct local land use planning.

Part of the study will address a recent amendment to the Ontario Planning Act which requires municipalities to implement Official Plan policies and zoning bylaw provisions to permit an additional dwelling unit in townhouses, semi-detached and single detached homes.

Ontario’s Bill 140: Strong Communities through Affordable Housing Act gives municipalities the ability to determine appropriate locations, parking requirements and other standards for these second units.

Comments received as part of this study will help shape these standards.

The study will also survey citizens, associations and service providers about their preferences for types of housing in the community, assessing the need for more or fewer rental units, townhouses, condominiums, semi-detached and detached homes. Housing requirements for low-income groups and persons with special needs will be an important focus of the study.

For more information about the study, call 311 for municipal services or visit www.greatersudbury.ca/housingstudy.