Ontario NDP promises 1.5 million homes over next decade
Garages turned into granny flats, duplexes, triplexes and affordable housing units are part of the NDP's promise of 1.5 million new homes over the next decade.
We have a plan that will give you a lifeline, give you that chance to own your own home," Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Friday morning at a campaign stop in Burlington, on Day 3 of the campaign leading up to the June 2 election.
Horwath's plan, which she first announced last November, would entail the creation of a new agency called Housing Ontario to lead the building of 250,000 affordable homes run by non-profit or co-op providers over the next 10 years.
First-time buyers with combined incomes of less than $200,000 would be able to get loans to help with down payments that would not have to be repaid until they move and the property is sold.
The shared equity loan program is similar to a federal buyer incentive program, and there is no interest.
An NDP government would also establish full rent control, so new renters won't see massive increases over what previous tenants paid, and renters who leave during renovations don't have to pay more when they return.
The party estimates the housing plan would initially cost $3.7 billion over four years, but would be partially offset by a speculation tax and vacancy taxes, and taxes on pre-construction condo flipping.
Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, who was in Bowmanville on Friday, said his party is aiming for 150,000 new homes a year.
We had stakeholders from right around the province come together," Ford said. But most importantly, and we're doing this, the province is giving the tools to the municipalities, number one, to standardize the process right across the province - to speed up getting the permits out there, cutting red tape and regulation compared to the NDP and Liberals."
He said the other parties don't believe in development - they just don't. They don't believe in supporting development. They're anti-development. They're anti-building roads and bridges."
Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, said there is a skilled trades labour shortage and with an increase in housing starts, we've been struggling."
However, he added, over the course of a decade, and with innovation and on-site construction methods, and the work that we are doing on the skilled trades - development, recruitment, with immigration - we can handle increased production and housing."
Lyall said an increase in the supply of new homes would take a few years to scale up, so it's not something that we're really worried about - right now it's just getting these (construction worker) strikes settled as soon as possible. That's the immediate problem."
The Liberals have promised to increase the housing supply and also protect renters. The Green Party has said it would expand zoning to allow for triplexes and fourplexes as-of-right, implement pre-zoning for midrise housing along transit lines and also build 160,000 new affordable rental homes over the next decade.
With files from Robert Benzie
Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy