The Doug Ford government has passed a housing bill that it says will help pave the way for 1.5 million new homes in the province over the next decade.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark said meeting that housing goal — especially important as Canada adopts new higher immigration targets — will be a challenge so it requires “bold and transformative” legislation like Bill 23 and also opening up of parts of the GTA Greenbelt for new home construction.
“This is a severe crisis that needs bold action,” Clark said Monday.
Critics of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, argue the legislation will drive up property taxes, end tenant protection from condo conversions and expose heritage buildings to the wrecking ball without creating the needed affordable housing.
Many municipalities have warned that reducing developer fees on new housing construction will shift the cost of an estimated $1 billion or more in needed infrastructure enhancements, such as sewers and roads, to property taxpayers’ bills.
Liberal Leader John Fraser, commenting on the response of PC MPPs to the passing of Bill 23, said, “I never thought I would see the day that a Conservative government would give a standing ovation for raising people’s taxes.”
Toronto council, which voted unanimously last week to ask for amendments to Bill 23, heard from its staff that the city stands to lose $230 million a year in developer and community charges that it uses in part to fund affordable housing projects.
While municipalities across Ontario are asking the provincial government to help them cover the lost developer fees, Clark said he’s hopeful that the $4-billion federal Housing Accelerator Fund can be used for this purpose.
“We’ve got a big problem, it’s a crisis, and we need all three levels of government doing their part,” he said.
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NDP MPP Jessica Bell said the bill’s elimination of Toronto’s rental replacement bylaw allows the conversion of affordable rental buildings into luxury condos exempt from rent control.
“And the renters no longer have the right to return to their unit at about the same rent as they paid before,” Bell said. “It will be very bad for affordability. Bill 23 is very bad for renters.”
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said there is available land for “gentle development,” infill and mid-rise apartments, without opening up the Greenbelt or shoving massive housing towers everywhere.
“Bill 23 is all about the premier using the housing affordability crisis as cover to create an opportunity for a handful of land speculators to cash in,” Schreiner said, referring to the Greenbelt proposals.
The Ford government plans to take out about 7,400 acres of Greenbelt lands located near growing 905 communities and replace it by adding at least 9,400 acres.
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