Use wetlands and protected…

Use wetlands and protected green space for houses? NON.
Just NO.
We need protected green space for wildlife corridors, oxygen production, farm land, and flood prevention.

Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force noted last February, "[A] shortage of land isn’t the cause of the problem. Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts," adding “Greenbelts and other environmentally sensitive areas must be protected, and farms provide food and food security. Relying too heavily on undeveloped land would whittle away too much of the already small share of land devoted to agriculture.”

ACORN, an umbrella group of community organizations, says Bill 23 will undermine access to affordable housing and the Association of Municipalities Ontario agrees that Ford’s effort to line his business buddies’ pockets will result in fewer affordable homes in less livable communities at an increased cost to already-overburdened taxpayers.

Next steps

Scrap Bill 23, and any other related legislation, and create new Bills to do the following:

1. Collect taxes from the top 1%, and collect Superfund site money owing from BP, Exxon, Shell, Stelco, Dome Mine, Dupont and similar polluting companies. Force them to clean up decommissioned properties within existing communities, and build housing hubs. These would be ideal locations for ‘tiny home’ communities.

2. Convert decommissioned, abandoned, owner-absent downtown cores, malls, McMansions, and office buildings into housing.

3. Allow housing above “mom-and-pop” shops, next to garages, attached to schools and clinics.

I look forward to seeing the Bill for Converting Underused/Abused Properties into Habitable Housing!