I support the aspects of the…

I support the aspects of the bill outlined in "Higher Density Around Transit"

I am very much opposed to removing planning responsibilities from higher-tier municipalities, in particular the Region of Waterloo. Waterloo Region has been functioning well as a mixed rural-urban region, and has already proposed sufficient lands and policies to exceed the number of units the Province is demanding to build in the area. This is a bad change and threatens the Countryside Line.

I am very much opposed to further gutting Conservation Authorities. Limiting them to discussions of flooding and erosion only is a terrible idea, especially since CAs will not be able to advise on interconnected systems.

I am opposed to the artificial cap of inclusionary zoning to 5% of a building's stock, and having such housing time-limited. This does not create "housing for everyone", since many members of "everyone" (including me) are priced out of the rental market as-is. Inclusionary zoning could be an important tool here, but it is being kneecapped.

The changes proposed to create the "missing middle" are exceedingly weak. The missing middle is not three units where otherwise there would be a single-family home. It consists of multi-room, multi-unit dwellings, which are not incentivized in this bill at all as far as I can tell.

This legislation is heavily tilted towards giving perks and eliminating requirements for developers, without corresponding requirements for them to build the kinds of housing that is sustainable for Ontario's future. In conjunction with the attacks on the Greenbelt proposed by the ministry, it is enabling yet more sprawl into greenfields. In the name of building more homes it tramples on democratically-elected municipal councils. I agree that Ontario needs lots more housing, but the kinds of housing that will be built as a result of these changes will continue to be out of reach for people like me.

Although I badly want some sustainable and affordable housing I also care deeply about rural areas including the Countryside Line and the Greenbelt, and I am very upset that the housing crisis is being used to attack those things.