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NDP responds to shocking FAO report
QUEEN'S PARK -- The Ontario's NDP's Housing and Tenant Rights critic Jessica Bell and Poverty and Homelessness critic Rima Berns-McGown made this statement in response to the Financial Accountability Office's report, released Thursday, on the state of housing and homelessness in Ontario:
"Today's FAO report tells us loud and clear that the Ford government is failing to address Ontario's housing and homelessness crisis. It's clear Doug Ford will not meet his promise to end chronic homelessness by 2025. Ford isn't doing enough to support the thousands of Ontarians paying too much in rent to make ends meet. It's not doing enough to address the ballooning wait list for social housing--now 15 years long.
The FAO report shows that the number of people in core housing need is expected to grow by more than 80,000 families, and projected funding from the province will see annual funding for housing programs cut by an average $160 million.
The government stopped counting the number of homeless people in the province in 2018, making it impossible to provide adequate supports to those in need.
Ford is making Ontario's housing affordability crisis worse by lifting the eviction ban, forcing people to risk homelessness and illness, or to hunt for a new home in the middle of a pandemic.
The government must heed the NDP's call to declare homelessness an emergency and spend the money on transitional and supportive housing, and mental health and addictions supports. We must ensure that no more Ontarians are pushed into homelessness, by banning evictions during COVID-19 and giving workers paid sick days.
The NDP housing platform commits to extending the lifespan of 260,000 affordable homes, building 69,000 affordable homes and 30,000 homes with supports over a decade, and providing rent supports for 311,000 families."
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