The city of Ottawa will not fulfill its pledge to issue 15,100 building permits a year unless there are “supportive economic conditions” and supports from other stakeholders, according to city staff.

Earlier this year, council endorsed a ‘municipal housing pledge,’ with strategies to encourage construction of 151,000 new homes across Ottawa by 2031. The Ontario government assigned Ottawa its target as part of a provincial plan to support construction of 1.5 million new homes.

A new report for the city of Ottawa says the city granted land use permissions and development applications for 16,237 new dwellings in the first six months of the year, and issued building permits for 4,514 net new dwellings.

Staff say while Ottawa is “fulfilling its role” to the annual 15,100 target by “providing ample opportunities to issue building permits” for new homes, the city was only 30 per cent to its target for issuing building permits through the January to June period.