Ontario Provincial Election 2022
Ontarians head to the polls on June 2, 2022 to elect the provincial government. This is your opportunity to make your voice heard and vote for the party that best aligns with your interests as a residential landlord and otherwise.
The following key housing issue promises have been made according to the election platforms of the four parties:
PC party led by Doug Ford has not made significant promises on housing issues in Ontario.
- The party has only expressed that they would like to move some provincial agencies out of Toronto to bring jobs to other regions in an effort to decrease the real estate prices and rent amounts.
NDP party leader Andrea Horwath has stated the following:
- Bringing an end to exclusionary zoning.
- Bringing back rent control.
- Creating a portable housing benefit.
- Building 100,000 units of social housing over the next decade.
- Updating 260,000 social housing units to extend their lifespan.
- Introducing an energy efficient building retrofit program to help families with the costs of retrofitting their homes and lowering electricity bills.
The Liberal party headed by Steven Del Duca has expressed the following:
- Updating the building code to require new buildings and renovations to comply with energy efficiency and climate resiliency standards by 2025.
- Building 1.5 million homes over 10 years.
- Working with municipalities to expand zoning options
- Bringing back rent control.
- Establishing the Ontario Home Building Corporation to finance and build affordable homes
- Building 78,000 new social and community homes, 38,000 homes in supportive housing and 22,000 new homes for Indigenous people.
The Green party led by Mike Schreiner has said the following:
- Building 160,000 affordable community rental homes in partnership with co-op and non-profit housing providers.
- Implementing a multiple homes speculation tax on purchases of new homes for buyers who already own two or more homes or condos, starting at 20 per cent for the third home purchased and increasing with each additional home.
- Expanding zoning options to increase housing supply.
- Implementing vacancy and rent controls on all units.
- Changing the Ontario Building Code to ensure new housing in multi-unit residential buildings is accessible.
Remember that this is your opportunity to lobby candidates, their campaign and party for legislative reform to landlord and tenant legislation to level the playing field and improve the operating environment for small landlords in Ontario.
When candidates arrive on your doorstep, ask them their position on housing issues and do not hesitate to share experiences as a small landlord! Tell them that you contribute housing to the rental stock and share your experiences. Tell them about your rent losses, the challenges you face collecting unpaid utility bills, the costs you are absorbing for increased electricity, water, and fuel because they are included in the rent and you are unable to pass on to the tenant because the Above Guideline Rules changed. Tell them as well about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected you as a small landlord and lastly, if you have filed with the Landlord and Tenant Board, tell them about the complicated, costly and extremely lengthy process.
Sources:
https://globalnews.ca/news/8820328/ontario-liberal-party-2022-platform-highlights/
https://globalnews.ca/news/8784433/ontario-2022-election-platform-highlights/