Housing is a complicated…

Housing is a complicated issue but what is not complicated is the untold benefits that the Greenbelt and our wetlands provide for us.

They produce oxygen, filter water, generate sediments to enrich our crops and provide habitat for wildlife - reducing the impact of coyotes and deer on cities by helping to mitigate encroachment.

The current housing "crisis" has been caused by rampant investment buyers securing multiple properties, taking them off the market and often not even offering them as rentals.

We have had a systemic erosion of affordable public housing in our province which I have seen very clearly over the last 25 years in my hometown of Hamilton.

We are rapidly losing farmland to housing, built and paid for by very wealthy individuals (or those that can secure a very high mortgage).

Further proof in our housing market being artificially inflated comes when evaluating the number of vacant units in newly built condo buildings, and the number of vacant properties in our downtown core.

Municipalities have already taken action to preserve green space and to promote ethical housing initiatives.

This includes Halton and Hamilton voting not to extend our urban boundaries, and Hamilton creating an incentive for homeowners to create additional units on their properties for rent or housing a relative.

Having reviewed the recent census results I have examined the figures and seen that the population growth Ford is implying isn't even close to being accurate. Very few cities are substantially increasing in size. He would have us believe every person in Ontario that is seeking housing doesn't have any options available because there are no houses to be had, when in fact the housing that is available is entirely out of reach for the majority of people needing housing.

The demand is for affordable housing, and geared to income housing to support our fellow citizens.