NDP to Ford’s Conservatives: Build more co-ops to help address housing insecurity

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles (Davenport) joined MPP Chris Glover (Spadina–Fort York) and local residents at Windmill Line Co-operative Homes to call for more investment into practical and proven housing solutions as Ontarians continue to face a historic housing and cost-of-living crisis.

“Ontarians are feeling the impact of the Ford Conservatives’ failing housing policies across the province. People are being priced out of their communities, and it has never been more expensive to rent or buy a home in our province – especially here in Toronto,” said Stiles. “This year’s budget shows that new housing starts are going down instead of up. Their policies will leave us with no affordable housing left for Ontarians. Ford’s Conservatives are clearly out of touch with the housing needs of everyday Ontarians.”

Stiles and the NDP have repeatedly called on Ford’s Conservatives to implement proven and practical housing solutions that include:

• Investing in the construction of deeply affordable housing such as co-op housing
• Ending exclusionary zoning
• Clamping down on greedy speculation
• Bringing back real rent control

“Co-ops provide at-cost housing and subsidized housing for people. They help create diverse communities of neighbours – providing secure housing for young families, seniors, people with disabilities,” said Glover. “The last time co-op and non-profit housing were built at a large-scale dates back to the last NDP government in Ontario. This province can lead the way once again.”

“We would like to see the province invest money directly into increasing the supply of co-op and non-profit housing that benefits communities,” Glover said. “This is a solution that has worked in the past, and this is the solution we need right now.”

QUOTES

Frances Greenich – Windward Co-op Resident

“If we are going to be prepared in the future, co-op housing is the way to go. We need to build more affordable housing for people to feel safe, securely housed, empowered to build a community, and a quality way-of-life.”

Glen Hutzul – President, Older Womens’ Network (OWN) Co-op

“It took me six years on the waiting list to get co-op housing when I applied 11 years ago. But there was a reason I wanted to move there, and it was because of the sense of community. Currently, we just don’t have enough non-profit and co-op housing. Some of these people on our waiting list may never even get the opportunity to be a part of our community and end up living in a tent. It is important that any type of new housing that we build has a co-op or non-profit component to it. We desperately need that non-profit housing, and we need it now.”