Liberals echo Ontario Greens’ calls to legalize the missing middle

March 20, 2024

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens Leader and MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to the Ontario Liberals’ proposed legislation, the BUILD Ontario Act.

“Ontario Greens have always been policy leaders, and we’re glad to see that other parties are joining our call to legalize gentle density province-wide.

Since 2021, we’ve been calling on the Ford government to allow fourplexes and four stories in all residential neighbourhoods and mid-rises on major streets, in addition to ending mandatory minimum parking requirements for all new developments to reduce upfront housing costs for first-time buyers.

The bill I tabled late last year, the Homes You Can Afford in the Communities You Love Act, would act on these calls by amending the Planning Act to allow for:

• Fourplexes and four-story apartments in neighbourhoods province-wide; and
• Mid-rise buildings ranging from six to 11 stories on transit corridors and main streets.

These are common-sense solutions to build more homes and bring down soaring housing costs without sprawling onto our farmland, wetlands and green space.

I’m glad that the Liberals now see the benefits of legalizing housing, and I hope they will join me in pushing for more kinds of gentle density by adopting our calls for six to 11 stories on transit corridors as well.”

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