I want to thank my honourable colleague from Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question and also for the great work he does on behalf of his constituents every single day.

A few months ago, I toured Z Modular, which is a factory in Kitchener, Ontario, that pre-builds modular housing units right here in our province. They manufacture shipping-container-style boxes which you can customize or stack to build modular homes. You can pick the layout and materials you want included and have it delivered to your property with 90% of the project completed off-site, which results in 50% faster project completion.

Thanks to the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington, I also had the opportunity to meet with GPS 3D Modular, which uses a green precast concrete modular system to build up to 10 storeys high. These are innovative solutions; these are the ones that are going to help us get out of the supply of the housing—

While on tour at the Z Modular facility, they explained to me how they not only create detached housing, but they can also scale up projects to create buildings for residential use. They are currently working on projects in Lucan, Ontario; St. Clair College; and Port Elgin. And they’re working on affordable housing projects all over the province.

Z Modular and GPS 3D Modular are using modern technology and manufacturing processes similar to what the Ford Motor Company did in the early 1900s to make it more affordable to purchase a vehicle, but now to make it more affordable to buy homes. These are great solutions that will help us alleviate some of our housing crisis issues. I hope the opposition supports us as we go forward, as we try to tackle the housing—

Applause.

I want to thank my honourable colleague from Burlington for the question and all the great work that she does in her riding.

Mr. Speaker, our legislation was clear: The More Homes Built Faster Act was intended to build on previous housing bills to further cut red tape and remove unnecessary barriers that were preventing the construction of new units in Ontario.

One key approach that we’re taking is by encouraging density around major transit areas, which will make it easier for Ontarians to take a bus, train or streetcar to and from work, and visit family and friends.

We want Ontarians to have the flexibility when it comes to housing: one that they can afford and one that meets their needs and their budgets. The only way that we can do this is by increasing supply in the areas that make sense, like major transit corridors, which is exactly what our government is doing.

I want to thank the member from Burlington for her strong advocacy when it comes to housing on behalf of her constituents.

Study after study is telling us that we are in a housing deficit, but we’re ensuring that more supply is created—of all types—to make sure that home ownership is within reach for more Ontarians; for example, the attainable housing program through the government surplus lands, exploring rent-to-own options and land lease communities.

To make housing more affordable and easier to enter the housing market for Ontarians, our government is increasing the term period for homes located in land lease communities from 21 years to 49 years, which, by extending it over time, will make homes more affordable. In fact, I saw first-hand the life-lease community of Sandycove in the great member’s riding of Barrie-Innisfil.

We know more work is needed, and we’ll continue to explore more options to make it easier for first-time homebuyers, seniors, young families and future generations to find a place to call home in our province.

I thank the leader of the official opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see one day the leader or the members of the opposition get up and actually stand up for Ontarians and support us in building more homes across the province.

We should be looking at our numbers. In 2021, in 2022, a record number of housing starts in our province—no thanks to the opposition. I mentioned this last week, when the previous government was in power, they held the balance of power. The lowest housing starts came in the three years when they had the opportunity. They could have made housing a priority for Ontarians. They didn’t. It took this Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, under the leadership of the Premier, the caucus members on this side and in the middle to say, “No more. Housing is going to be a priority for Ontarians. We’ll make sure to deliver it to them. We’re not going to let down anybody.”

As I said before, and I’ll say it again, no government in the past 70 years has provided more protection for tenants in this province than this government.

We paused rent increases during COVID. We made sure that tenants had protection when they needed it. The rent increase guidelines that the member is referring to in 2021 last year was capped at 1.2% increase. This year, because of our actions, we capped that at 2.5%, well below inflation. If it wasn’t for our actions, the rent increase guideline would have been at 5.3%.

So let me make that very clear: Once again, it’s this government that will stand up for the people of this province, will protect tenants and make sure—what the opposition wants is for people to be pitted against one another. That’s not going to happen. We’re going to work with our partners to make sure that we have more units in this province, and we’ll continue—

Again, I want to thank my honourable colleague for the question. In addition to the record purpose-built rental starts that we had last year, our latest piece of legislation, More Homes Built Faster Act, offers incentives for the construction of more rental units by reducing development fees: 25% on three-or-more-bedroom units, a 20% discount on two-bedroom units and a 15% discount on one-bedroom units.

To further increase rental supply, we also introduced as-of-right policies in our most recent bill to allow for more units to be constructed on existing residential lots. Other legislation allows for basement apartments, garden houses or main residences to have up to three rental units without obtaining additional building permits or paying any additional development fees.

Ontarians deserve to have affordable options when it comes to housing, and as we’ve said before, we’re going to continue fighting for every Ontarian to make sure they do in this province.

I want to thank my honourable colleague from Eglinton–Lawrence not only for the question but for the great work that she does on behalf of her constituents.

Speaker, I actually had the opportunity and the pleasure to speak at the event that the member is referring to. In my remarks, I emphasized just how important it is for us to continue building on our collective effort to increase housing supply.

Increasing supply is a big part of the solution to the housing crisis, and our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, alongside the municipal affairs and housing minister and the parliamentary assistant, will continue to introduce policies that will get more shovels in the ground, for us to build homes faster.

I’m proud to say that last year we saw the most purpose-built rentals on record, with just under 15,000 homes. Let that sink in for a second. We set the record for the most purpose-built rentals ever recorded here in the province of Ontario.

So it’s clear our policies are working—

I want to thank my honourable colleague from Carleton for the question and also for her strong advocacy when it comes to housing on behalf of her constituents.

I was in the member’s city last week, alongside my federal and municipal counterparts, to announce a $90-million housing investment across the city of Ottawa to support the construction of more than 270 units. These units will meet a variety of accessibility and affordability needs, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.

I look forward to continuing our partnership with all levels of government, as well as the non-profit and private sectors, to ensure that all Ontarians, including the most vulnerable in our communities, have a safe place to call home.

To add to my previous answer: The funding will support five projects across the city of Ottawa, including the project that our government is supporting which is located at 159 Forward Avenue. This will be a four-storey building with a total of 49 units, 30 of which will be designated as affordable, and the remaining 19 will have rents that are on par or below average market rent. As I’ve said from day one, we’ll continue to do everything we can to support projects like this one, because they prioritize and support the most vulnerable.

With lack of supply and housing prices out of control for many Ontarians, we’ll continue to work, again, with all partners, all levels of government, to increase supply and support housing in every corner of our province.

Again, I thank my colleague for the question. The short answer is, yes, we are in a housing crisis, so we have to look at existing homes and structures so that we can provide more relief to Ontarians. Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people by 2031, so all options are on the table that will help us add more existing housing supply.

We are already looking at options by introducing as-of-right zoning. Ontarians are now able to create and rent up to three units in their existing home. This will not only add to our provincial housing supply, but will also help pay for the high interest rates Ontarians and others around the world are forced to pay.

We will continue to look for other solutions that will help us add more homes to the market and help us build 1.5 million homes across the province. As we’ve said time and time again, letting Ontarians down, on this side and in the middle there, is not an option.

I want to thank my honourable colleague the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question and the great work that he does on behalf of his constituents.

It’s no secret that a lot is currently at stake with the global economic markets. Inflation is high and food prices have skyrocketed out of control around the world. However, when it comes to housing, we are doing everything we can to deliver on the promise that we made to Ontarians. We have taken important steps forward through legislation like strong mayors, the More Homes Built Faster Act and the Better Municipal Governance Act to get shovels in the ground faster than ever before.

To give an example, we have removed development charges for affordable housing units and provided discounts for rental housing options because we are committed to solving the housing crisis. We believe every single Ontarian deserves to have a home.

I want to thank my honourable colleague for the question and certainly for the advocacy he does in his community when it comes to housing.

My colleague is right. Nationwide housing starts did fall, and our province wasn’t immune to this. There are global factors at play here that go beyond what our government can control, like high interest rates and the rising cost of building materials. And while we would like to see more from our federal counterparts, we never said the road ahead will be easy for Ontarians, and we never said that there won’t be bumps along the way.

But if we continue to work together and make changes for the things that we can control, like approval delays and unnecessary fees, and by introducing legislation every year for the next four years, I am confident that, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we will get the job done and we will deliver on our promise to build 1.5 million homes for Ontarians in the next decade.

Our municipal partners play a huge role when it comes to the number of housing starts. In fact, not only have we sent 29 of the largest and fastest-growing municipalities housing targets, we also have allocated more than $45 million under the Streamline Development Approval Fund to help Ontario’s 39 largest municipalities modernize their approval processes. And we have also introduced strong-mayor legislation to give local municipalities the tools they need to get more shovels in the ground and do them faster. We are serious about solving the housing crisis in our province and we are willing to work with all levels of government to once again give back the dream of home ownership to all Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, my message to the member’s niece is: We will not give up on you. You will realize the dream of home ownership under this government.

I want to thank my hard-working colleague from Richmond Hill for that wonderful question and certainly for her tireless work in our community.

We know housing prices have skyrocketed. We have seen report after report saying the same thing, which is why we have committed to introducing a housing action plan every year to address the crisis that we are currently in.

Our most recent bill, More Homes Built Faster Act, which was introduced just earlier this week expanded on our agreement to work with municipalities by introducing as-of-right policies. These new measures allow up to three units to be added on a residential property without needing a bylaw amendment or having to pay development charges. This means basement apartments, main residence, the garden house can be converted into a home without any barriers. It will immediately increase supply and provide some relief for local residents like those in Richmond Hill.

Speaker, this is just one of the many ways our government under the leadership of Premier Ford is getting it done for Ontarians to build 1.5 million homes in the next 10 years.

Speaker, we will be building more homes and building them faster by reducing unnecessary costs and expenses that are passed down directly to the consumer.

We’re making it easier and more predictable for builders to determine project costs and timelines so more homes can be built on budget and on time. We’re also setting local municipal housing targets in 29 of the largest municipalities to encourage home construction and development.

For example, right here in the city of Toronto, we’re asking the city to build 285,000 more homes in 10 years, and in my riding—which I am proudly sharing with my colleague from Richmond Hill—we’re asking the same, for the city to build more than 27,000 new homes in that same time period.

Mr. Speaker, we are taking the necessary, bold steps that are needed to get more homes built faster. Our most recent bill adds to the foundation that is required to build 1.5 million homes. We are laser-focused on making sure Ontarians have a house to go to every single night—one that is loving and safe for them—and we will not waver from that commitment.

Again, I want to thank my honourable colleague for that follow-up question. Speaker, at a time when Ontarians are facing a rising cost of living, we recognize the need to keep costs down for all Ontarians. It’s a concerning trend to see municipal fees and charges levied on new and affordable housing skyrocket by up to 36%. Without considering the impact fee increases have upon tenants and future homeowners, housing prices will rise and affordability will worsen.

Our proposal, if passed, will reduce the cost of residential development by freezing, reducing and slowing future growth of municipal charges. Speaker, as I’ve said before, our government will not shy away from bold and decisive action, under the leadership of this Premier, to streamline municipal approval processes and reduce costs for Ontarians entering the housing market. Like we’ve said time and time again, the previous government let down the people of this province. We will not.

I want to thank the hard-working member from Mississauga Centre for that very important question.

Speaker, we know that the status quo is simply not working. If we continue on this path without making bold and transformative changes, the next generation will not have the same opportunities for success as previous generations had. The proposed legislation will take several steps to make sure Ontarians get the additional housing supply we so critically need.

By permitting more gentle intensification, an issue that the opposition have many times said transcends party lines, our proposed changes will lay the foundation for more missing-middle housing, giving Ontarians more choice and flexibility. Additionally, we’re reducing building costs to incentivize our private sector and non-profit partners to get more housing built faster.

Together, with all hands on deck, we can ensure that home ownership is attainable for all Ontarians across our great province.

Again, I thank the member for the question.

One third of Ontario’s population in the next 10 years is going to be in Ottawa and in Toronto—so you absolutely are correct.

We are going to do everything we can to make sure that we increase the supply, because there’s a challenge here that some of my colleagues in the chamber don’t seem to understand—that we don’t have the supply to meet the demand. We haven’t—because they failed the people of Ontario. We’re not going to continue on that path.

We told Ontarians; I told Ontarians; every single person in this caucus, when we were campaigning, told the people of this province, “We’re not going to let you down.” We’re going to make sure we build homes. We’ll work with municipal partners, we’ll work with all our community partners to make sure that we not only build homes, but we build all types of homes for all Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, 15 million people are depending on us. The next generation is looking at us to not let them down—and unlike them, we’re not going to do it.

I thank the honourable member for the question.

Speaker, 34 out of 35—that’s where Canada ranks when it comes to getting approvals to build more homes. The opposition might be okay with that. They were okay with it for 15 years. They let the people of this province down—we’re not. We campaigned on building 1.5 million homes so that we don’t let down the people of this province. They have continuously said no to housing. They have supported them.

We have said to every single Ontarian that we will do whatever it takes—we will use every tool and work with our municipal partners and our federal partners to make sure that we do not carry on the tradition of the previous government to let Ontarians down. We will build 1.5 million homes. We will work with every partner to make sure that happens, with or without their support.

I would like to thank the member for the question, and the member is absolutely right. Ontario is in a housing crisis due to lack of supply, because of inaction by the previous Liberal government.

That’s why the people of Ontario put their trust in this Premier and in this government, because they know that we are here to act, to build, and because they know that we will work with all levels of government to get shovels in the ground.

As part of our More Homes for Everyone plan, we’re cutting through red tape and getting homes built faster. Through the community infrastructure and housing accelerator, we’re providing municipalities with the tools they need to speed up the approval process. This will remove barriers, creating new housing projects all across the province.

And, Mr. Speaker, we’re just getting started. We’re putting together Ontario’s first-ever housing supply action plan implementation team to engage with municipalities, the federal government and the ministry. As the Associate Minister of Housing, I’m here to ensure that we will fulfill our commitment to the people of this province. And, Mr. Speaker, we will—

That’s precisely what this government is doing. In 2021, our government broke ground on a record number of homes being built, with more than 100,000 new homes in only 12 months. That was the highest level since 1987.

And we can’t stop now. To keep up with the pace of population growth, we’ve introduced A Place to Grow, our plan for the greater Golden Horseshoe, designed to increase housing supply, create jobs and build stronger communities. We brought forward the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, which will ensure Ontario’s fastest growing cities have the tools they need to get projects approved quicker and build more homes faster.

Under the previous Liberal government, too many Ontarians gave up on the dream of home ownership. This government will never give up on them. I will never give up on them.

I thank the unbelievably hard worker from Don Valley North for the great question.

Simply put, Ontario is in a housing crisis that requires strong leadership and bold solutions.

As I said yesterday here in this House, we have an ambitious plan to build 1.5 million new homes in the next 10 years, and our plan is working. Just last year, we had over 100,000 housing starts in our province—that’s the highest in over 30 years—13,000 of which were rental units.

Ontarians have seen the dream of home ownership start to slip under the leadership and governance of the previous Liberal government, always backed by the NDP, but that is going to change under the leadership of this Premier and this government.

I thank my honourable colleague for the question.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to housing, supply is absolutely the issue in this House, and I’m not sure why my colleagues in opposition continuously fight that.

As a result of inaction by the previous government, we are in a housing crisis in Ontario right now and every single person in this province is feeling it, which is why, under the leadership of this minister and this Premier and this government, we are making a difference.

Last year alone, 100,000 starts started right here in this province. That’s over—

Interjections.

When we are talking about helping Ontarians, we’re talking about housing across for every single province.

Speaker, every single initiative that we’ve put forward, the opposition has voted against. They have let the people of this province down. We’re going to fight for them every single day to make sure that life is more affordable and everyone has a safe and loving home to go to.

I want to thank the member for the question and congratulate him on his election to the people’s House.

Ontarians are facing the rising cost of living and certainly a shortage of homes. Our government was re-elected with a strong mandate to help more Ontarians find more homes that meet their needs and their budgets.

We all know that Ontario accounts for two thirds of the population growth in Canada. That’s why, under our ambitious plan, our government will build 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years to keep costs down and make life more affordable for all Ontarians. We’re also speeding up the approval process while implementing recommendations from the Housing Affordability Task Force. The steps that our government is taking are working. Over 100,000 homes have been built in 2021—and more than 13,000 new rental starts here in the province of Ontario; that’s the highest in over 30 years.

Speaker, next week I’m heading over to AMO in Ottawa to be able to continue collaboration with our municipal governments.

Our government’s policies have delivered historic results in getting more housing built faster, and they certainly complement our more than $4.3-billion investments over three years to grow and enhance community and supportive housing for vulnerable Ontarians and Indigenous peoples, address homelessness and respond to COVID-19.

The More Homes for Everyone plan, launched in March 2022, outlines the next steps we’re taking to address Ontario’s housing crisis, such as accelerating approval timelines and protecting homebuyers from unethical business practices. For example, changes were made to provide an incentive for municipalities to make decisions in a timely manner on zoning and site plan applications. Effective January 1, 2023, if a municipality does not make a decision within the legislated timeline, they would be required to gradually refund the application fee to the applicant. Municipalities could avoid lost revenues by improving processes to support timely decisions.

We remain steadfast—