FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2019
Investing and Improving Community Housing for Brantford’s Most Vulnerable Province Making Community Housing Safer, More Efficient and Sustainable
QUEEN’S PARK – The Ontario government is putting people first by providing more than $1 billion dollars in 2019-20 to help sustain, repair and grow community housing and help end homelessness. On April 17, 2019 our government also revealed the province’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy, outlining our plan to transform a fragmented and inefficient system into one that is more streamlined, sustainable and ready to help people who need it most.
“Our government believes Ontario families shouldn’t have to live in buildings with crumbling walls, leaking roofs and broken elevators,” said Will Bouma MPP for Brantford-Brant. “We will work with municipalities and non-profits to address issues like safety, overcrowding and long wait lists.”
“We are pleased to announce a total Provincial investment of $5,896,260.00 for Brantford, which includes Investment in Affordable Housing, Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative and Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative just to name a few.” Bouma stated.
Ontario’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy includes early steps to improve community housing across the province: • Encouraging tenants to seek opportunities at school and work by removing existing penalties for working more hours or going to college or university; • Making rent more predictable by simplifying rent calculations; • Freeing up the waitlist by having tenants prioritize their first choice and accept the first unit they are offered, while allowing Service Managers flexibility to make exceptions in extenuating circumstances; • Protecting tenants who receive child support payments by ensuring their rent is not impacted by payments; • Making housing available to those who truly need it by requiring an asset test; • Making housing safer by empowering housing providers to turn away tenants who have been evicted for criminal activity.
Quick Facts
• In 2014-18, Ontario contributed 57 per cent of housing and homelessness spending, compared with just 17 per cent from the federal government. • Community housing is provided by non-profit, co-operative and municipal housing agencies. It includes a range of programs from subsidized social and affordable housing, including housing for Indigenous people, to rent supplements and portable housing benefits that help people find housing in the private market.
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For more information, please call 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org