SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Jessica Bell

  • MPP
  • Member of Provincial Parliament
  • University—Rosedale
  • New Democratic Party of Ontario
  • Ontario
  • Unit 103 719 Bloor St. W Toronto, ON M6G 1L5 JBell-CO@ndp.on.ca
  • tel: 416-535-7206
  • fax: t 103 719 Bl
  • JBell-QP@ndp.on.ca

  • Government Page
  • Nov/29/23 11:00:00 a.m.

My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Earlier this week, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing hosted a housing round table with municipalities. Municipalities told the minister very clearly that they were ready to cut red tape to get more housing built, but they needed more funding for growth-related infrastructure.

They asked the minister to allocate funding under the Building Faster Fund, based on housing permits, which they can control, rather than housing starts, which developers control. Why did the minister say no to these municipalities?

My question is back to the minister. Earlier this year, the Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario pointed out there were hundreds of thousands of development-ready homes in Ontario that were approved for construction but remained unbuilt. No matter how fast a municipality issues a housing permit to a developer, they cannot force the developer to build.

This is my question to you, Minister: Why is this minister withholding infrastructure funding from municipalities for something they cannot control?

Interjections.

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