FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Investing and Improving Community Housing for Brantford\u2019s Most Vulnerable Province Making Community Housing Safer, More Efficient and Sustainable <\/p>\n\n\n\n
QUEEN\u2019S 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur government believes Ontario families shouldn\u2019t have to live in buildings with crumbling walls, leaking roofs and broken elevators,\u201d said Will Bouma MPP for Brantford-Brant. \u201cWe will work with municipalities and non-profits to address issues like safety, overcrowding and long wait lists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d Bouma stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ontario\u2019s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy includes early steps to improve community housing across the province: \u2022 Encouraging tenants to seek opportunities at school and work by removing existing penalties for working more hours or going to college or university; \u2022 Making rent more predictable by simplifying rent calculations; \u2022 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; \u2022 Protecting tenants who receive child support payments by ensuring their rent is not impacted by payments; \u2022 Making housing available to those who truly need it by requiring an asset test; \u2022 Making housing safer by empowering housing providers to turn away tenants who have been evicted for criminal activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quick Facts<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 In 2014-18, Ontario contributed 57 per cent of housing and homelessness spending, compared with just 17 per cent from the federal government. \u2022 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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For more information, please call 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"