I think this is probably the…

I think this is probably the worst possible housing policy. Our housing crisis is driven by a lack of units *in the most desirable urban areas*. People want to live in walkable, transit-friendly cities, which is why Toronto and Hamilton top the list of areas with high rents and house prices.

Opening up greenbelt lands does not address this need -- the houses that will be built will provide the least possible access to jobs, community and life necessities like food and clothing; they'll also commit their buyers to owning multiple cars, eating up all the savings they might get from being able to access a slightly cheaper home.

Moreover, it's well-understood that greenfield developments in north america typically don't generate enough tax dollars to pay for the infrastructure and services they require -- we are setting up our cities for a future of austerity and suffering as the physical and social services around them slowly degrade and fall apart.

The only part of this bill worth considering is the waiving of development charges, for infill projects. DCs are a tax on new homes to pay for services that should be shared by the tax-base.

If the province was serious about spurring more housing, they'd eliminate parking minimums, second egress requirements and setback rules. Instead, we are messing around with the boundaries of where exactly cities can continue to pursue insolvency.

Lastly, I'm so frustrated that the province seems to be doing this basically to benefit a few land-owners -- it looks corrupt, it is corrupt, and reifies the idea that building the supply of housing that Ontario needs can only happen by penalizing developers. The opposite is true -- the only realistic path we have to overcoming our housing shortage is to reduce costs and leverage our existing private sector to build multifamily homes. SO DO THAT!