Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The City of Ottawa’s Planning and Housing Committee approved development applications today (July 16) for two major affordable housing projects that will add 179 new rental units in the rapidly growing suburb of Barrhaven and the east-end neighbourhood of Overbrook.
The decisions for projects led by Ottawa Community Housing Corporation and Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation represent a tangible step in the city’s strategy to address a deepening housing crisis. The approvals rely on key zoning changes to allow for denser, mid-rise buildings and are part of a broader effort to enable the construction of 151,000 new homes by 2031.
In Barrhaven, the committee approved a zoning amendment for a 117-unit development by the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) located southwest of Jockvale Road and Bending Way. The project includes a nine-storey apartment building and a three-storey stacked-townhouse building, with a significant number of family-sized and accessible units.
In a news release, the city noted that from the first quarter of 2023 to the end of 2024, council approvals put developers in a position to build roughly one-third of the homes required to meet the 2031 goal. Since the start of 2025, it is estimated the committee’s decisions have enabled the potential development of nearly 5,500 new dwellings.
The recommendations from the July 16 meeting will now go to the full City Council for final approval on Wednesday, July 23.