Government housing bill takes aim at renters and affordable housing

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario NDP Housing critic Jessica Bell issued the following statement in response to the Ford government’s announcement on housing reform:

“In every part of Ontario, people are dealing with skyrocketing housing costs that for many, have made life unmanageable.

We need more homes, including affordable homes, that meet the needs of Ontarians, not investors. We need zoning reform to build more missing middle homes within existing residential neighbourhoods. We need better protections for renters so they can live in safe and affordable homes.

For four years, the Ford government refused to address the housing affordability crisis. The government cut funding for housing and homelessness programs, ended rent control on new buildings, and did little to curb investor-led speculation.

The government’s new housing bill helps developers, but at the expense of renters, affordable housing, and municipalities who miss out on development fees.

The Ford government is making it easier for developers to permanently evict tenants and convert affordable rental housing into luxury condos.

The NDP will continue fighting to ensure everyone in Ontario has a home they can afford, with a plan that includes:

• Ending exclusionary zoning to allow more missing middle homes in existing neighbourhoods.
• Stronger rent control so renters can live in safe and affordable homes.
• Spurring the construction of new homes to meet the needs of current and future Ontarians, including more affordable homes and supportive housing.
• Clamping down on investor speculation so more Ontarians can buy a home they intend to live in.
• A strong public role in the delivery of new affordable and non-market homes, including new public investments.”