To the editor:
According to various Ontario PC propaganda received regarding Bill 23, Ontario's latest housing action plan, development charges are only being waived for affordable housing and nonprofit housing. The claim made is that the rather large fees being charged by various municipalities make the difference between a housing project starting or even getting built.
Ontario's Government wants to force municipalities from charging large development fees to various developers and corporations as a way to cut red tape, and encourage the building of some one million homes, hopefully with lower prices, so they claim. The problems this Bill 23 has presented to the public, various local governments continues to appear. Like the Wynne Liberals before them, the Ford Government is downloading the bill's costs onto local governments.
Local governments rely upon development and other fees charged to developing corporations. If these fees are reduced in any way the various regions' populations will be charged with higher property taxes and a slew of regulatory charges to make up the difference within their municipal budgets. While Toronto is not paying as much property taxes as other municipalities, the outcry from local politicians and city councils has risen. Local Governments will now bear the burden of lost revenue so that Ontario's central government can assist profiteering corporations. Some land within the green belt has been put on sale and often scooped-up by land grabbers/speculators and developers, and now the financial download carried out by Bill-23 will pressure most municipal government's budgets and the way they can make due.
The Conservatives are showing just how vision lacking they are, as well as their seemingly outrageous beliefs that the corporate world will do what is right. And that is to build mass affordable homes. Furthermore, there is no real understanding of what Ontario needs, which is affordable housing, and what costs make a home affordable. Does the Conservative Government believe that corporations and developers will actually build affordable housing. How very naive.
Developers are notorious price hikers while building housing at extremely low budgets. The very material that is used is sub-par to what was used twelve years ago. Wood that was once 3/4 to 1" thick is now half that thickness. Tradesmen under contract are rushed to make these homes, keeping to tight last-minute schedules. Are the Conservatives working for Ontarians or for their friends within the business development sectors? While this government relies upon their entrepreneur friends to bring housing to Ontarians, Ontarians can only hope that housing prices will stabilize or drop.
Hoping Ontarians will not hold their breaths waiting.
Steven Kaszab
