In a time of unprecedented…

In a time of unprecedented danger from the effects of climate change, now is not the time to offer up a key section of our province to private and corporate donors of the Ontario Conservative Party.

It is time to prove to Ontario that the OPC are not liars, as everyone who has ever mentioned the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, or Doug Ford, has said.

"I want to be clear: we will not in any way entertain any proposals that will move lands in the Greenbelt, or open the Greenbelt lands to any kind of development," Housing Minister Steve Clark, February 2021.

Instead, it would be wise to look at where our housing crisis is coming from, with particular attention to Airbnb and corporate investors, as well as owners of multiple properties. Funding to improve the response time of the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board would also help the situation greatly, by holding current landlords accountable for their actions and using them to set an example, thereby improving the quality of life of all Ontario renters.

Tiny houses and particularly tiny houses on wheels are also something to look at. A federal loan program to help renters build and live in tiny houses would help with more rural renters, as they could, with revised zoning policies, locate their tiny house on land that may be unsuitable for a house that requires a foundation. Additionally, adding a grant for insulation, electrical hookup, water storage and filtering, grey water treatment, water delivery and incinerating toilets would boost adoption by removing common barriers and the requirement for a septic system in these locations. Streamlining and reducing the cost of required inspections, as well as publishing pre-approved engineering designs for tiny houses on wheels would also boost adoption by those who may be worried about the approval process. It will also be of paramount importance to work directly with renters, and not through any companies, in order to effectively produce the desired results without having any funds syphoned off, misappropriated or "lost". Training and informational materials for building tiny houses on wheels could also be provided to the public for free, as well as to individuals on social assistance.

A specific program for individuals on social assistance could be formed to allow them to obtain a federal loan to buy or construct a tiny house on wheels, with the housing portion of their monthly financial assistance going towards paying off the loan. This would also require modifications to some social assistance program's rules regarding the maximum value of held assets. After the loan is paid off, the housing portion of their monthly financial assistance could be freed up to allow them to deal with the rising cost of living. This would effectively provide a boost to their income, without a greater financial burden on taxpayers. For individuals on social assistance who are unable to build their own tiny house on wheels, a federal acquisition program could be created, using the same financial model for repayment. This would, however, increase the cost due to the cost of labour.

In regards to the labour portion of the construction of these units, an organisation could be formed to facilitate the organisation of people who wish to come together to build their units. This would be best done with all units being created simultaneously, rather than one at a time, as the former would reduce costs of materials and latter would likely allow some to discontinue participation after theirs is completed. Allowing people to observe and learn from other's work before constructing their own would also be a beneficial function of this organisation. In order to reduce costs of construction, the government could bulk purchase key components of these units such as insulation, the trailer chassis on which they are built, and other key components. This would also provide reassurance to the builder that these components are safe and adequate for construction. It would be wise to consult with multiple contractors and professional tiny house on wheel producers to research which components would be best for acquisition.

Programs including tiny houses and tiny houses on wheels have already had an impact by helping reduce homelessness in other regions. The links provided with this submission demonstrate the effectiveness of these programs. Reaching out to some of the groups involved in projects that have already had success would likely provide invaluable insight into the unforeseen challenges involved. Reaching out to RV production companies would also provide insight on how to streamline construction. It would, however, not be a good idea to try to imitate their wall/roof construction, as it is unsuitable for permanent habitation in Ontario. Walls and roofs constructed with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) would be best for construction of tiny houses. A key producer of these panels, which are fire tested and safe, is Kingspan, located here in Ontario.