If bill 60 passes there are…

If bill 60 passes there are a lot of issues. The major issue is that the public spaces people need to go to for recreation in nature will be paved over. There needs to be green space for people as well as for nature and the eco system.

Key Arguments Against Bill 60

1. **Weakening of Tenant Rights / Security of Tenure**

* According to the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), Bill 60 could end automatic month-to-month lease renewals, allowing more fixed-term leases. That undermines "security of tenure" — tenants might be forced to renegotiate or leave at the end of a lease. ([ACTO][1])
* Without month-to-month renewal, landlords may circumvent rent control by signing new leases with much higher rents. ([ACTO][1])
* Shorter timelines for eviction or review: the bill proposes cutting the time tenants have to ask for a review of a Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) order. ([ACTO][1])
* For non-payment of rent, tenants would have less time (7 days instead of 14) before a landlord can apply to evict. ([ACTO][1])
* ACTO also warns tenants may have to pay **50% of claimed arrears** before being allowed to raise other issues (e.g., repairs) in a hearing — which could be impossible for many. ([northbaylegalservices.ca][2])
2. **Reduced Access to Justice**

* By compressing deadlines (for reviews or appeals) and raising financial barriers (paying part of arrears), the bill could make it very hard for tenants — especially lower-income or vulnerable ones — to meaningfully contest eviction or unfair claims. ([ACTO][1])
* This could lead to more evictions and less ability for tenants to defend themselves. ([ACTO][1])
3. **Homelessness Risk**

* Critics argue that weakening eviction protections will exacerbate Ontario’s homelessness crisis. ([northbaylegalservices.ca][2])
* Rather than preventing eviction or providing supports, some see the bill as making it *easier* for tenants to be displaced. ([CityNews Toronto][3])
4. **Erosion of Rent Control**

* Because of “vacancy decontrol” (when a rental unit becomes vacant, a landlord can re-rent it at any price), shorter leases + fixed-term renewals could let landlords reset rents more aggressively. ([northbaylegalservices.ca][2])
* This can lead to rapid rent increases over time, especially for lower- or moderate-income tenants. ([ACTO][1])
5. **Limits on Tenant Advocacy / Complaints**

* Under the proposed changes, tenants might not be able to bring up serious maintenance or health/safety issues in non-payment hearings unless they meet certain financial thresholds (e.g., pay half the arrears). ([northbaylegalservices.ca][2])
* This could effectively silence tenant complaints and reduce accountability for landlords who don’t maintain properties. ([northbaylegalservices.ca][2])
6. **Impact on Public Health / Water**

* There’s concern (from the Keep Water Public coalition) that Bill 60 could privatize water systems, reducing transparency and accountability and allowing corporations to raise water rates. ([CUPE Ontario][4])
* The shift could erode “public-ownership” of water services, with potentially negative consequences for affordability and public health. ([CUPE Ontario][4])
7. **Transportation / Cycling Concerns**

* Bill 60 proposes to amend the *Highway Traffic Act* so that municipalities are **prohibited** from reducing car lanes when creating new bicycle lanes. ([Environmental Registry of Ontario][5])
* Critics see this as anti-cycling, undermining sustainable transport, and giving less power to local governments to plan safe bike infrastructure. ([Environmental Registry of Ontario][5])
8. **Centralization of Power**

* According to opponents, the bill gives more power to provincial ministers and less to municipalities. Some see this as a risk to local democracy/control. ([Reddit][6])
* There’s concern that regulatory powers will be shifted to unelected bodies, reducing accountability. ([Reddit][6])
9. **Privatization of Healthcare**

* Though not always tied to the 2025 version of Bill 60, some past iterations or similar legislation were criticized for enabling the privatization of publicly funded surgical procedures. ([Ontario Nurses' Association][7])
* The Ontario Nurses’ Association argued that private clinics may take only the most profitable “easy” cases, leaving more complex patients in strained public systems. ([Ontario Nurses' Association][7])
* There are also concerns about lowering licensing/licensure safeguards for nurses in some private settings.
10. **Lack of Real Solutions to the Backlog**

* Some critics argue that the surgical backlog (if that’s part of the justification) is **manufactured** or a result of underfunding, not regulation, and that Bill 60 doesn’t address root causes (like chronic understaffing or funding issues). ([The Ontario Federation of Labour][8])
* Instead of building capacity in the public system, opponents worry the bill will funnel money into for-profit clinics. ([The Ontario Federation of Labour][8])

11. **Speed Over Accountability**

* Many argue that “building faster” is being used as a pretext to push through sweeping changes, reducing oversight, public input, and accountability in development, housing, water, and municipal planning. ([Reddit][6])
* There’s a fear that the omnibus nature of the bill (i.e., bundling very different changes) is intended to hide controversial provisions or make them harder to challenge. ([Reddit][6])

12. **Equity Concerns**

* The changes disproportionately impact lower-income, vulnerable, or marginalized tenants who may lack the resources to navigate faster LTB processes or pay large portions of arrears upfront. ([ACTO][1])
* Rental instability (through evictions or non-renewal) can worsen inequality and housing precarity.

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## Risks / Potential Consequences if Bill 60 Passes

* **Increased Evictions**: With weaker protections and faster eviction processes, more tenants may lose their homes.
* **Homelessness Surge**: Evictions without strong safety nets could push more people into homelessness.
* **Rising Rents**: More flexible (or fixed-term) leases + loss of rent control could drive up rents.
* **Disempowered Tenants**: Tenant participation in hearings might decline; fewer can appeal or challenge landlord claims effectively.
* **Privatized Public Services**: Public assets (like water) might shift toward private control, with less oversight.
* **Reduced Local Control**: Municipalities may have less power in planning, transport, and infrastructure.
* **Health System Strain**: If private clinics pull in skilled staff from the public system, public hospitals could be further understaffed; quality of care could suffer.
* **Accountability Problems**: Less democratic oversight of water systems, fewer checks on developers, and weaker mechanisms for residents to push back.
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## Why These Criticisms Matter

* **Housing is a Basic Need**: Stability in housing is foundational for people’s wellbeing. Weakening tenant protections threatens that stability.
* **Public Safety & Health**: Water and healthcare are public goods — changes that loosen regulation or accountability can have serious downstream effects.
* **Social Justice**: Many tenants are lower income or marginalized — weakening their rights may exacerbate inequality.
* **Governance**: Centralizing power reduces local democratic control; infrastructure decisions should involve communities, not just the province.
* **Long-Term Costs**: While the bill is pitched as “building faster,” the long-term social cost of mass evictions, homelessness, or degradation of public services may outweigh the short-term gains.

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## Counterpoint Risks (if You Oppose Blocking the Bill)

It’s also worth noting why some support the bill (and thus what risks there might be *if it’s blocked*):

* The government argues Bill 60 will **speed up housing construction** by reducing red tape — which could help with supply. ([CityNews Toronto][3])
* They claim it will **streamline the landlord-tenant board**, reducing delays at hearings and making the system more efficient. ([ACTO][1])
* The bill could incentivize landlords to rent out more properties (if they feel they have more flexibility), potentially increasing rental availability. ([CityNews Toronto][3])
* From a transport perspective, the government might argue that preserving vehicle lanes supports traffic flow or safety (though this is contested). ([Environmental Registry of Ontario][5])

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### My Assessment

On balance, the concerns around **tenant protections**, **access to justice**, and the potential for **privatization** of public services make a compelling case that Bill 60, as proposed, carries significant social risks. While improving housing supply is important, critics argue that these reforms lean too far toward benefiting landlords, developers, and private actors — rather than protecting renters or ensuring public good remain accountable.