Provincial NDP leader Andrea Horwath says that she’s going to tackle the “long-ignored housing” issues in Northern Ontario in the upcoming 2022 election.
She says the NDP’s new housing plan, Homes you Can Afford, will help families buy their first home, help in ending homelessness, build thousands of new homes, as well as take better care of both the landlords and renters.
Horwath alongside many NDP MPPs across northern Ontario unveiled the new housing plan earlier Friday morning.
“We believe that everyone deserves a stable, safe and comfortable place to call home in the community you love,” she said on the Zoom call. “For a lot of folks, owning a home is out of reach, along with the stability that comes with it.”
She says the NDP will also make it easier and inexpensive to convert unused spaces like basements and garages into affordable rentals, while working with local governments to get more homes built, from starter homes for growing families to homes with support.
She said during the conference that the NDP plans to build 69,000 affordable homes, extend the lifespan of 260,000 existing homes, and build 30,000 homes with supports across Ontario, assuring people who need a supportive living environment have a place to call home.
Horwath has also committed to supporting a For Indigenous, By Indigenous housing strategy. Working with Indigenous communities, the federal government and Indigenous-led housing providers to support the creation of an adequate supply of safe, affordable and culturally-appropriate urban and rural housing, with supports where needed. She says Ontario needs 22,000 additional Indigenous-owned and operated community housing units over the next decade.
Horwath adds the plan went across the caucus multiple times, ensuring that the needs of the residents across the province, and not just southern Ontario, are met.
“We took the time and we prepared the platform. This makes sure that the plan will meet the various needs across northern communities. I know that cookie-cutter approaches don’t work. We wanted to put this platform out early, and get it on the radar of community leaders across the north to prepare for the discussion that we’re going to be having when we form government in 2020.”
To view the NDP’s housing plan, click here.