For the thousands of Ontarians struggling to keep a roof over their head, Ford’s new housing bill could be a push out the door.
On Oct. 23, the Ford government introduced Bill 60 the “legislation to build homes and infrastructure faster,” which has the potential to end rent control and indefinite leases across Ontario. The proposed legislation is intended to put more power in the hands of landowners to streamline approvals and let developers build homes quickly; however, it also includes alternative options to lease expiry that could be detrimental to long-term renters. This is just another example of the Ford Government cozying up to landowners and neglecting the needs of its broader constituency.
Even if Ford claims the bill will help the housing crisis, it only puts renters at risk.
It’s not as if the housing market wasn’t difficult enough already. The average monthly cost of living in Ontario is already between three and four thousand for a single adult, and six to eight thousand dollars for a family of four. In just the past few years, the cost of rent alone has soared, putting Canada in a rental housing crisis, with homes disappearing at an alarming rate across the country. The bill claims it will “get shovels in the ground faster” for new developments, but may only serve to remove people from their homes.
You don’t need to look any further than Kingston for examples of rising rent prices. Taking advantage of student turnover, landlords have raised rent for a one-bedroom apartment at an annual growth rate of 19.9 per cent, the fourth highest in all of Canada. Landlords already have unlimited power to hike rent between tenancies; the new bill would allow them to remove tenants when they see fit, completely abolishing the present system of rent control for long-term tenants.
Beyond young tenants, perhaps the most concerning side effect of the new legislation is its effect on seniors. Seniors make up 32.5 per cent of single-person rental households. Relying on their pension, many seniors wouldn’t be able to afford a sudden rent hike. The new legislation is a threat to seniors, many of whom would have to move and leave behind the communities they rely upon. If passed, they would have no guarantee of staying in the communities they many may have planned on spending the rest of their lives in.
For those familiar with Doug Ford, the legislation comes as another example of Ford trying to benefit those already in power. A liberal housing critic pointed out that the bill only allows hardworking renters a one-year lease guarantee, while a foreign spa company at Ontario Place gets 99 years.
In 2022, Doug Ford was involved in a scandal where he planned to remove 2994 hectares of protected land from the Greenbelt. Allegedly, Greenbelt development was intended to promote development and housing affordability, but it mainly benefited prominent land developers.
Yet knowing Ford, the new housing legislation is unsurprising. In an e-mail statement to CBC, a spokesperson said the legislation would support “mom and pops” who rely on rental income to pay their mortgage.” Supporting small landowners isn’t only a small side effect of broader legislation that will sooner evict vulnerable tenants than support these smaller landowners.
From students to seniors, the proposed bill would’ve detrimental effects on renters across Ontario. By supporting landowners who are already in power over the housing market, Ford’s latest legislation risks worsening an already dire crisis.
—Journal Editorial Board
Tags
Doug Ford, housing, Rent Control, Student Housing
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