{"id":4886,"date":"2022-05-24T10:50:15","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T14:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/?p=4886"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:05:09","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T20:05:09","slug":"newmarket-housing-advocates-hope-for-better-affordability-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluedoor.ca\/newmarket-housing-advocates-hope-for-better-affordability-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Newmarket housing advocates hope for better affordability policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 24th, 2022. By: Joseph Quigley, newmarkettoday.ca, Original Article.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

‘People need truly affordable housing, and they need it now,’ Blue Door CEO says, urging for better income supports and additional not-for-profit housing<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Blue Door CEO\u00a0Michael Braithwaite\u00a0said housing is a focal point in election platforms this year.<\/p>\n

He said it is positive that all the parties are promising to bump up the amounts of social assistance for people in need. The head of the locally based, non-profit\u00a0emergency housing organization said the vulnerable need help to secure places to live.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can\u2019t afford to buy homes. Our most vulnerable can\u2019t afford to rent homes,\u201d he said, adding that government supports has not kept up with prices. \u201cThere\u2019s a huge gap in what people have to spend on housing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The provincial election has put a renewed spotlight on affordable housing, with parties making promises to improve the situation and housing supply. Local housing advocates are calling for more purpose-built rentals and help for residents to afford homes, with prices in\u00a0York Region and elsewhere spiking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Social Planning Council of York Region co-chair Yvonne Kelly \u2014\u00a0a former NDP candidate \u2014 said rent control is a needed provision, and the\u00a0Greens, NDP and Liberals have included it in their platforms<\/a>. She said the controls should prevent landlords from kicking out tenants and bringing in new ones at higher rates.<\/p>\n

She said the Conservatives have focused on foreign speculation and housing supply, but there is also a need to watch for domestic speculation. She added that\u00a0supply is important, but it needs to be the right type.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to get serious about building more purpose-built, affordable rentals,\u201d Kelly said.<\/p>\n

Braithwaite said likewise, adding that although supply and municipal processing are issues, there is a need to understand what type of supply is necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a lot more rent-geared-to-income and rent subsidized, or it just won\u2019t reach affordable,\u201d he said, adding that social supports like Ontario Disability Support Program have not changed much for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

Kelly said governments have to take a distinct role in addressing the matter. She noted that waitlists\u00a0for affordable housing are at 12 years or significantly longer for those places geared toward disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernments getting out of the way and letting the market take over the housing sector is what\u2019s created this glut, which is why we haven\u2019t had an investment in not-for-profit housing development like we needed to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Braithwaite\u00a0said that regardless of who wins, he hopes that promises of improved income support for the vulnerable are realized quickly.<\/p>\n

He said it is also vital for governments to protect existing social rental housing stock, with much of it getting lost to the private market. He said it is important to get new stock in the hands of non-profit housing providers to keep it affordable, rather than just floating that money to for-profit developers.<\/p>\n

He urged citizens to vote with affordable housing in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need truly affordable housing, and they need it now. Let\u2019s exercise that right to vote and get it done.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 24th, 2022. By: Joseph Quigley, newmarkettoday.ca, Original Article.\u00a0 ‘People need truly affordable housing, and they need it now,’ Blue Door CEO says, urging for better income supports and additional not-for-profit housing Blue Door CEO\u00a0Michael Braithwaite\u00a0said housing is a focal point in election platforms this year. He said it is positive that all the parties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t