NDP says Ford government’s claim that affordable housing’s not a provincial responsibility is bogus
QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and NDP Housing critic Jessica Bell said attainable homes that people can afford must be a requirement of any provincial land sales.
CBC is reporting today that Metrolinx sold off prime lands next to the Port Credit GO station for $64.5 million — but didn’t include any conditions, so homes built there could all be multi-million-dollar luxury homes.
"People are working harder than ever and finding it harder and harder to find an affordable place to live right now in Ontario," Horwath said. "Many are being pushed out of their home communities because totally unattainable housing prices continue to soar.
"It’s dead wrong, and a huge, missed opportunity for the Ford government to refuse to require that public land sales are contingent on building homes people can afford. If I have the privilege of serving as premier starting in June, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
Bell called the no-strings-attached land sale a slap in the face to Ontarians being crushed by skyrocketing housing prices and said the government’s claim that it’s not responsible for affordable housing is wrong.
"Doug Ford has been clear that his priority isn't regular people but ensuring his developer buddies get richer," said Bell. "His government's claim that the province simply isn’t responsible for affordable housing is wrong. It’s time for a government that does see it as their responsibility to build affordable housing and make homes attainable for everyday people.”
The Ontario NDP's housing platform includes making billionaire speculators pay speculation and vacancy taxes, guaranteeing investment to build new affordable homes, and establishing zoning reform to spur the construction of thousands of homes, including affordable missing middle homes in existing neighbourhoods.