There are constant cranes in the skies in Toronto Centre. Yet, homelessness is a problem. Affordability is problem. Evictions are a problem. Finding somewhere to live is a problem. We have a housing affordability crisis in Toronto Centre; which is completely bizarre because more homes than ever before are being built in the area. But almost none of them are affordable. Our neighborhoods are gentrifying as our wages have stagnated, jobs are more precarious, and we are being priced out of our communities. This isn't random, it's by design. Private market housing is being prioritized and incentivized by federal mortgages, programs, and funding.
For years, Liberal and Conservative governments alike have made bad policy decisions in housing. Almost all government interventions in housing are focused on two areas: public housing and home ownership. The middle ground of planned rentals, cooperative housing, and affordable rentals have gone by the wayside.
The absence of planned, government-led rental units has left a void for those who are renting. Investors, foreign and domestic, and big corporations are snapping up condos in Toronto and using them as cash cows in the absence of a strong federal government.
We deserve better.
I’m ready to stand up with the NDP to make sure that everyone can afford a place to call home. Here’s how:
- Accelerating and supporting the creation of social, cooperative, and non-profit housing with federal resources.
- Pushing the CMHC to prioritize and incentivize the financing of affordable rental construction with particular emphasis on underserved communities
- Building, funding, and sustaining 2SLGBTQ+ fostering and/or foster homes, and shelters.
- Including modern and safe long-term care homes, and prioritizing in-home care for our aging populations.
- Exploring bans or stringent restrictions on short-term rentals in communities facing housing crises.
- Working with Indigenous communities to build housing that is appropriate and meets their needs.
- Increasing transparency in property records to know when corporations are snatching up units
- Tackle money laundering in real estate with financial reporting standards in real estate
- Implementing a 20% foreign home buyer's tax
- Increasing the capital gains tax to at least 75%
- Ensuring that all federal lands or buildings sold to developers in Toronto include affordable homes or affordable rentals. Every. Single. Time.