Urgent action required for housing construction, maintains Olivia Chow, as Carney administration acknowledges time sensitivity.
Renewed Urgency in Addressing Housing Crisis: Toronto Mayor Outlines Demands to Prime Minister Carney
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow expressed a sense of urgency regarding the government's approach to tackling the housing crisis, following meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other officials in Ottawa.
Chow, who has been frustrated with the federal government's collaboration with municipalities in the past, found a receptive audience in Carney, noting a strong sense that there's no time to waste in addressing the issue.
Governments at every level are crucial in stimulating development in Toronto. Mayor Chow emphasized the need for a more swift and predictable approach during collaborations when establishing new programs and funding projects urgently.
"From conception to execution, it's not fast enough," stated Chow regarding the current process, which she believes Carney is eager to streamline.
Throughout the week, Chow met with Carney, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, Finance Minister François Philippe-Champagne, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and other big city mayors during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) annual conference.
Carney criticized previous funding models and partnerships with municipalities as arbitrary and unpredictable, stating that it's imperative for larger conversations to involve the provinces. Nevertheless, he noted that Ottawa could serve as a "curator" of discussions, expediting progress.
During his speech at the FCM, Carney highlighted existing housing pledges, such as the ambitious goal of constructing half-a-million new homes annually over the next decade, providing billions of dollars in financing for prefabricated homebuilders, and decreasing development charges by half for five years while helping cities regain lost revenue.
The prime minister also acknowledged the need for innovative strategies to spur development, highlighting potential opportunities for public-private cooperation and the modernization of the housing industry in Canada.
Although Chow declined to disclose specific funding requests made to Carney or discuss their feasibility, she indicated a willingness for Toronto to work in partnership with the federal government to lower housing costs, expedite construction, and support municipalities in their efforts towards affordable housing.
The Toronto municipal government aims to invest billions in developing infrastructure required for new builds. Should the city accept lower development charges–fees municipalities receive from developers to fund critical services like roads, public transit, sewer systems, and parks–the federal government's role in helping overcome these additional expenses is essential.
Integrating alternative strategies, Chow presented various options for achieving affordable housing goals, emphasizing Toronto's existing programs aimed at spurring housing development. The city's initiatives include programs providing fee waivers and reduced property taxes to rental housing developers and, in some cases, offering similar incentives to condo builders for projects committing to more affordable units.
Last year's agreement between Ottawa and Toronto, on low-cost financing of thousands of rental homes and affordable units, serves as a promising example of an ongoing collaboration, with further discussions underway to address housing affordability challenges in a timely and effective manner.
- Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is urging the federal government, specifically Prime Minister Mark Carney, to act swiftly and predictably in their collaboration, highlighting the importance of addressing the housing crisis in Toronto.
- Mayor Chow notes that governments at all levels, including the provincial ones, are essential in stimulating development in Toronto, emphasizing the need for a more collaborative approach in establishing new programs and funding projects.
- In a critical review of past funding models and partnerships, Prime Minister Carney expressed concern about their arbitrary and unpredictable nature, urging larger conversations involving the provinces to ensure a more effective approach.
- The government's role in helping Toronto overcome additional expenses, such as lower development charges, is highlighted as essential, given the city's plans to invest billions in development infrastructure.
- In an effort to achieve affordable housing goals, the Toronto municipal government is considering various strategies, including partnering with the federal government, offering fee waivers and reduced property taxes to rental and condo developers who commit to more affordable units, and modernizing the housing industry through public-private cooperation.
