On June 2, 2026, Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Act, 2026 (“Bill 98”) received Royal Assent, with some elements taking effect immediately and others to take effect at a later date. Bill 98 represents the most recent effort by the Province of Ontario to accelerate housing delivery across the province and standardize land use planning rules.
Introduced on March 30, 2026, Bill 98 coincided with an announcement of a partnership between the Province and federal government to invest approximately $8.8 billion over the next decade in housing-enabling infrastructure aimed at reducing development charges and lowering the cost of building new homes across Ontario. Bill 98 received Royal Assent the day after the Province and Federal Government opened applications for the development charge reduction program (see here for more information on how to apply).
Davies Howe published a blog series that examined key aspects of Bill 98 and related initiatives before it came into effect, and given that no substantive amendments were implemented as the bill went through the legislative process, these posts as linked below, collectively provide a comprehensive overview of the Province’s latest efforts to reshape the land use planning system in Ontario.
What’s In Effect?
- Key legislative changes, including amendments to the Planning Act, Building Code Act, the Municipal Act, the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Development Charges Act, as well as other related initiatives as outlined in Part 1 of our blog series.
What’s Not In Effect?
- Legislative and regulatory changes, including the new official plan framework, complete application requirements and site plan reform as outlined in Part 2 of our blog series. These portions of Bill 98 will take effect on a day to be named by an order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, or, upon the Province prescribing certain regulation.
- Changes related to parkland dedication, including the treatment of encumbered parkland and Privately Owned Public spaces (POPs) as outlined in Part 3 of our blog series. These proposed amendments to the Planning Act will also take effect on a day to be named by order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Our team will keep you up to date on the ever-changing Provincial planning policy landscape including when the remaining elements of Bill 98 take effect. Should you have any questions regarding this legislation or its implications for your development project, our Land Use Planning Team is ready to assist.