[URBAN NOTE] "Now is the Time to Move Forward on Housing"

[rfmcdonald]

I like the Torontoist op-ed by my ward's councilor, Ana Bailão, about the Toronto housing crisis. I just wish more, and more effective things, had been done earlier.

This National Housing Day we have an opportunity for the first time in more than a generation to change direction and move forward with positive actions and a people-focused approach to take action on housing and improve housing for all Torontonians.

Over the last couple of years, we have seen a lot of change across all three orders of government. We now have a new federal government that is focusing on housing and is developing a national housing strategy. The provincial government has updated its long-term affordable housing strategy with a commitment to inclusionary zoning and gives us greater flexibility to manage social housing. And, following a tumultuous previous term of council, the City is, in my view, making social and affordable housing more of a priority than any previous term of council since amalgamation.

We are coming off the heels of the Toronto Housing Summit, which increased awareness and enabled important conversations between government, housing stakeholders, advocates, and tenants. And today, we will be learning what the federal government heard from Canadians through their national housing strategy consultations.

We must look across the housing spectrum to provide relief and more opportunities. We need to innovate, build more social, supportive, affordable, and co-op housing, and at the same time revitalize our existing housing stock to improve living conditions for some of our most vulnerable residents.

The City cannot do this alone and it will be crucial that we continue moving forward with the full implementation of Toronto Community Housing’s 10-year $2.6-billion capital plan. We are now finishing year three of this comprehensive plan and have budgeted to spend $250 million on capital repairs—more than ever before.