Bill 23 is a stunning…

Bill 23 is a stunning overreach and shows a complete lack of understanding surrounding both the environmental impacts and importantly, the impact on affordable housing. Supply alone is NOT the answer when there are no affordability metrics attached. I've worked as a real estate broker and housing advocate for over 30 years and am stunned by this proposed legislation.

A number of serious concerns with Bill 23 have been identified including:

- that the Bill gives the Minister the power to cancel rental housing protection programs that ensure that when apartment buildings are redeveloped, the affordable units are replaced at affordable prices;
it proposes to cap the number of affordable units municipalities can request to be built as part of new developments at 5%;
- it proposes to set a limit to how long these units can be rented out at below-market rents of 25 years;
that the Bill lacks specific initiatives to incentivize the construction of affordable rental housing, and in particular “deeply affordable” rental housing;
- that the Bill does not commit the Ontario government to any direct investment in the creation of deeply affordable public and non-profit housing;
- the Bill will override the Planning Act of Ontario with impunity and no right to appeal by municipalities or citizens;
- the Bill will decrease the preservation of and access to greenspace;
- by reducing affordable rental housing, decreasing preservation of and access to greenspace, and changing policies related to land use planning, the built environment, and climate-resiliency, Bill 23 impacts disportionately on people affected by poverty and socio-economic marginalization.