The affordable housing crisis is forcing many mothers and some fathers to choose between food and shelter.

91,000 households are on the social housing waiting list in Toronto alone, where 2 people have already frozen to death this year for lack of shelter.

Almost no new affordable and rental housing is or has been built for years, while luxury condo towers are sprouting up everywhere. The opportunity to build more affordable housing is going to waste at a time when it is desperately needed. 

The Province has mandated municipalities to prepare Housing Statements to show housing needs and how these needs are to be met. Yet, the Province has failed to grant municipalities the right to demand a percentage of affordable housing units from developers. This right is called inclusionary zoning and is widely used in countries such as the US, Belgium, UK and Australia to obtain affordable housing. Both NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo, and now, Liberal MPP Peter Milczyn, have tabled Private Member's Bills in the Ontario Legislature to give municipalities this right. The bills have been referred to Committee; but unless the government prioritizes them, such bills tend to die with the agenda at the end of a session.

Ask the Liberal Government to give priority this session to the Bill for inclusionary zoning, giving municipalities the right to demand a percentage of affordable units in developments with more than 20 units.

Supporters: Toronto Women's City Alliance​, Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care, Joy Connelly (Housing Advocate), Social Planning Toronto​, Women in Toronto Politics​, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)​, Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations (FMTA)

Photo credit: ACORN Canada