NDP: Clock’s ticking on federal funding for affordable housing, and Ford’s without a plan

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP, is asking Doug Ford to answer for his embarrassing failure to deliver affordable housing that could see Ontario lose out on $357 million dollars in federal funding by the end of this week.

“Ontario’s record on affordable housing has been an absolute embarrassment,” said Stiles, “Instead of building the affordable housing we need and that he committed to, Ford wasted years focused on carving up the Greenbelt to help his friends. Now, the province could lose hundreds of millions in badly needed funding because of his failures.”

Ontario is expected to have added just over 1,100 affordable units since 2018. That's less than 6 per cent of the province’s housing target under the National Housing Strategy.

NDP Housing Critic Jessica Bell said: “The government can play the blame game all they want, but the truth stands. They are lagging so far behind in achieving the targets Ontario to make sure people don’t suffer as a result.”

“The NDP has a plan – Homes Ontario – to get government back in the business of building and funding public, affordable, and non-market homes. This is the kind of leadership we need in this province right now.”

“With only a few years left to deliver on the agreement, we are so far behind. What is Ford’s plan to ensure Ontario does not lose 357 million dollars in federal funding due to Ford’s failures?” said Stiles.