\Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is responding to criticism from the Ontario NDP that Premier Doug Ford "pads housing numbers to hide [his government's] failure to build housing in the North."
In March, North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico welcomed Fedeli and Associate Minister of Housing Rob Flack to North Bay City Hall for a funding presentation related to housing on Thursday.
Flack announced the City of North Bay received $400,000 from the provincial government through the Building Faster Fund as the city exceeded its 2023 housing target, breaking ground on a total of 202 new housing units last year. North Bay was declared to have surpassed its 2023 target of 73 units by 277 per cent.
Not so fast, say Official Opposition Deputy Leader Sol Mamakwa and Sudbury MPP Jamie West. The Ontario NDP is calling out the "Ford government's failure to address the lack of affordable housing in northern Ontario. Leaders across the North have criticized the conservatives for doing nothing substantial to alleviate the housing crisis while padding the housing numbers by including long-term care beds," according to a recent news release.
The Ontario NDP notes North Bay and Sudbury surpassed their 2023 housing targets by 277 and 156 per cent, respectively, only after the government introduced an incentive program to include LTC beds in fall 2023.
"Without this change, neither city would have come close to meeting its housing goals," the Ontario NDP maintains. In Sudbury, LTC beds made up 36 percent of the 2023 housing target, while in North Bay, the proportion was nearly 80 percent.
See related: Northern Heights building costs soar — up 31 per cent since 2021
The 160 beds under construction at Northern Heights were included in North Bay's housing total. Over 100 residents of another Sienna Senior Living home, Waters Edge Care Community, are expected to make the move across town to Northern Heights in 2025. The fate of the Waters Edge building and property once vacated remains unclear.
"Ford's lack of housing strategy is failing the people of Northern Ontario," says West. "Families want affordable brick-and-mortar houses and apartments, not accounting tricks to fudge that data. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) doesn’t count housing as anything without its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom. Still somehow, in Sudbury, LTC beds are now counted as 36 percent of the Conservatives' 2023 housing target? It’s even more laughable in North Bay where the LTC beds make up nearly 80 per cent of their housing targets.”
See also: Ontario looks at counting student residences toward aim of building 1.5 million homes
"The people of Ontario need different kinds of housing at different times in their lives, and a long-term care residence is more than just a bed; it’s a home and a place where residents live in a community," Fedeli states in correspondence with BayToday. "Residents and the families of those living in long-term care will tell you they consider it their home.
"That’s why our government is building 58,000 new and upgraded long-term care spaces for when people need them. We believe that these should be counted towards our shared housing goals as these are permanent homes on which many Ontarians rely."
See: Ontario awarded four cities millions for meeting housing goals after count tallied care beds
"Ford is trying to sidestep his responsibility," Mamakwa adds. “If we're going to label beds as homes, let's raise the housing targets for truly affordable housing. He is deceiving the public by inflating the numbers instead of genuinely helping Ontarians.
"Northern Ontario needs diverse housing solutions, such as single-room occupancy, small housing options, and multi-family units. Right now, Ford is not providing that — instead, he's subjecting us to legislation tailored for Toronto. It's time for the Conservatives to step up and provide the necessary support to Northern municipalities for housing development.”
Fedeli stresses, "The province has made clear that our priority is for the people of Ontario, including vulnerable members of our communities, to have access to safe and secure homes, which is why we have committed to building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years."
