Ford’s sprawl agenda will cost us more

March 28, 2023

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens leader and MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports that Greenbelt sprawl will put unsustainable demand on municipal budgets.

“The Premier’s plan to sprawl onto the Greenbelt has never been about building more affordable homes.

In fact, there is overwhelming evidence that opening the Greenbelt will not solve the housing crisis.

It’s going to make the housing affordability and cost of living crisis worse.

Why? Because municipalities simply cannot afford the government’s sprawl agenda.

It’s basic math. It costs municipalities more than twice as much to service a home in a sprawl development than one built within an existing urban boundary – $3,462 versus $1,416 per year.

Unserviced sprawl developments have no roads, no sewers, no transit – no infrastructure.

So, why is the Ford government pushing a sprawl agenda that not only paves over the Greenbelt, but makes life less affordable for people and communities?

The environmental and economic costs of sprawl will hit people and municipalities hard.

Ontario Greens will continue pushing the Premier to stand up for an entire generation of young people struggling to find an affordable home by cancelling his expensive sprawl agenda and investing in building the homes we need in connected, affordable communities where people actually want to live.”

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