On Wednesday February 28, Matt Richter, Parry Sound-Muskoka Green Party of Ontario candidate, delivered over 500 postcards to Premier Kathleen Wynne and Housing Minister Peter Milczyn. The postcards requested that the Ontario Government develops more sensible policies regarding affordable housing that will meet the needs of Parry Sound-Muskoka as well as across Canada.
“After knocking on doors along with volunteers across Parry Sound-Muskoka, it is apparent that the lack of affordable housing is a critical issue that impacts all of us,” said Richter.
Over 500 individuals have signed postcards to Wynne and Milczyn, asking to make sure each new housing or condo development includes 20 percent of affordable units. The Green Party is asking for increased support for affordable, social and co-operative housing across the province.
“It is important to note that the lack of affordable housing or affordable rental properties reaches beyond the Ministry of Housing,” said Richter. “This is an issue that warrants a collaborative effort with the education, health, and economic sectors of government.”
The Parry Sound-Muskoka Green Party of Ontario is extremely grateful for the volunteer work and for the progress we have made so far but stress the importance of further change in order to generate lasting change.
“We must acknowledge the tremendous advocacy efforts in Parry Sound-Muskoka that our community partners, municipal politicians, and the private sector have already been doing,” said Richter. He noted that municipalities need to be allowed to offer incentives for developers to build affordable units without being on the hook to recover those costs from other reserves.
“We must remain proactive on this issue until we see responsible action from the Ontario government to deliver the resources and policies required,” said Richter.
By supporting tiny homes, secondary suites, lane way housing and other innovative approaches to housing, the province will be able to add more housing opportunities for people across Ontario, thus relieving some of the deficit.
If you would like to volunteer or be a part of the Parry Sound-Muskoka Green Party regarding the affordable housing campaign, contact Sophie Lovell, campaign manager for Matt Richter at [email protected].
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Bill, I think that if you had any idea of what you were talking about you would know that developers can barely make a reasonable return on regular purpose built rental housing (if at all), let alone make one from affordable housing. If you even had a clue you would know that this is the principal reason why there is a shortage of both regular and affordable rental housing throughout much of Ontario. Trying to force a mandatory affordable rental housing rate of 20% down the throats of every developer would only be counter productive and would undoubtedly result in a greater shortage. I totally get what Matt is trying to do but his plan comes right out of the play book that has gotten us here in the first place. Affordable housing is a “social” problem which every government in history has UNSUCCESSFULLY tried to remedy. Decrying that the private sector MUST solve the problem is, frankly, just stupid and irresponsible.
Perhaps the Province and District need to revisit past subdivisions that have been approved, many of them have high density affordable housing as one of their phases. Here is the problem these units I speak about are always in the final phase. Which phase do you think rarely ever gets built. Change approval based on the last Phase being built first and the developer that has an approval doesn’t get approval on another project until they have completed a minimum 60 % of the approved one.
The GREEN Party needs to come clean. I see a guaranteed income is part of the election promise. So If we have a GREAT income then why the need for housing? Again I see a promise of helps for small BIZ and a “fair Ontario for ALL” Then Matt why do you not see to it small or ALL biz in Ontario get the same “means tested ” system as OW , ODSP etc when it comes to determining NEED or GREED levels? Any money that comes from municipal tax payers coffers or Provincial, need to be means tested or no one if you desire “FAIR” Let’s get on with raising wages and insisting on great pension pans for ALL workers getting them off costly social supports into the new no pension plan days.
Gee, I think that is exactly what Matt is trying to do and guess what? Developers can still make big profits….Lighten up! Again Matt; Great Work on this issue.
I guess you have your Affordable house, too, Bill ! Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had an affordable house?
Sorry Matt, nothing personal, but I think that you need to give your readers a little more credit: Reducing development costs for builders of affordable housing may be one thing, but if you are trying to convince people that yours is a “campaign which is in many ways about less constraints” you might want to focus less on the fact that you are campaigning to get “each new housing or condo development to include 20 per cent of affordable units”. I think that they call that an “oxymoron”.
Hey Michael, with all due respect our plan is directly following your advice. Give developers the incentives to achieve affordable housing targets by (i.e. Waive building fees/permit fees. , yet do not have the Ont govt put the local district on the hook to recoup those funds). Our campaign is in many ways about less constraints.
Guess you have got your Affordable house Mike !
God help us. Just what we need: Another well meaning fool with a half baked plan who believes that the heavy hand of government is what is required to solve the affordable housing crisis. Matt Richter wants to “make sure each new housing or condo development includes 20 per cent of affordable units”. Well, good luck with that if he thinks that developers are going to line up with their support for this one! He obviously doesn’t get that decades of irresponsible housing policy, like his proposal, is what has created this mess in the first place. If you want an industry (the housing industry) to create more widgets (housing) that industry is only going to do so with incentives, NOT with constraints. The housing industry in Ontario is the most regulated industry in North America and the message here is that the construction of purpose built affordable rental housing has, increasingly, become NOT PROFITABLE. Reduce the barriers, don’t create new ones! For starters I would reduce or eliminate development charges for new affordable housing.
And Nuts to those who say any different…..Good work Matt !