Ford’s housing bill is built on sand

March 31, 2022

TORONTO — Mike Schreiner made the following statement in response to the Ford government's new housing bill:

“Today’s housing bill could have included real solutions from the Ontario Greens’ ‘masterclass’ housing plan. But instead the government offered up a poorly built, amateur plan that’s a bare bones construction of what’s needed to address the raging housing affordability crisis.

There’s cracks all over this bill’s foundation.

It’s a completely missed opportunity to:

• Increase housing supply by expanding zoning options to allow triplexes and fourplexes as-of-right and mid-rise on transit lines
• Build 160,000 new affordable homes so everyone can have a roof over their head
• Put homes for people first by combating rampant housing speculation and financialization, including implementing a province-wide vacant home tax and creating a task force to adequately address the financialization of housing
• Freeze urban boundaries, stamp out sprawl and build within existing built-up spaces to protect vital farmland and wetlands

While I’m glad the government listened to our recommendation and is planning to remove barriers to wood timber buildings, the rest of the plan doesn’t go nearly far enough.

Ontario desperately needs to get serious about housing. The situation is only getting worse.

Ontario Greens have a plan to create livable, affordable and sustainable communities by building infill like missing middle and mid-rise developments. A plan that will protect greenspaces, crush climate pollution, and ensure everyone has an affordable place to call home without having to commute hours to work. We need real action to tackle the housing crisis, not Ford’s amateur plan.

To see the Ontario Greens’ housing strategy to build livable and affordable communities: gpo.ca/housing

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