The NDP dropped its housing plan as it looks ahead to 2022.

The "Homes You Can Afford" plan includes bold promises such as ending homelessness, as well as wonkier pitches like inclusionary zoning and updated land-use planning. The NDP is looking to bring back rent control, add an Ontario-specific first-time homebuyer loan, and add more protections for renters.

It also comes as the party appears to be focusing more on an election strategy as 2022 approaches.

The first-time buyer credit, called the Home in Ontario Program, would take the form of a shared equity loan of up to 10 per cent of the home’s value, for households making less than $200,000. The homeowner then wouldn't have to repay the loan until they sell or move out, and could buy back the government’s share any time. The credit would be paid for through a revenue-neutral fund which would sustain itself through gains over time, the plan reads.

The NDP promises to crack down on renovictions and landlords evicting tenants by lying that they need the property for themselves. It also says it will hire more Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicators to clear the backlog.

The plan to increase supply starts with encouraging people to turn their unused bedrooms and basements into rental suites, through a "Residents' Rights Act" to help homeowners do so "easily and inexpensively."

To encourage more housing near transit — which the Progressive Conservative government is aiming to do through its transit-oriented communities plan — the NDP says it will focus on inclusionary zoning, which has been shown to increase affordable housing in places like New York City.

The NDP would also end Tarion's monopoly on home warranties. The regulator has been heavily criticized for years for putting the interests of homebuilders above the buyers it's supposed to protect.

It also promises to reform the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), though it doesn't say how.

To help with accessibility, the plan would enforce universal design standards and create elevator availability standards so landlords can't delay repairs.

An NDP government would end homelessness in 10 years, it promised — through a "housing first" approach that has worked in places like Finland. The party would build 30,000 new supportive housing units, 69,000 new affordable homes, and extend the lifespan of 260,000 more over 10 years. Extending the homes would cost $90 million, and the new affordable units would require about $340 million per year for the 10 years, the NDP estimates in the plan.

Some of those new affordable units will be set aside for women and their families fleeing violence, the party said, promising to "properly fund" shelters and transitional housing.

Direct rental help would go to 311,000 households, the party estimates, at a cost of $240 million. It also sets aside $10 million for a co-operative housing seed fund and $50 million for 30,000 supportive housing spaces.

It notes that homelessness disproportionately affects Indigenous people, and promises to create a "For Indigenous, By Indigenous" housing strategy to create another 22,000 "safe, affordable and culturally-appropriate" units.

The plan increases revenue through taxes aimed at real estate investors, promising no new taxes for "everyday families," whether they rent or buy. It would increase the Non‑Resident Speculation Tax from 15 to 20 per cent and make it apply everywhere in Ontario; create a 2 per cent annual speculation and vacancy tax modelled on British Columbia's, which would apply to speculators who don't pay taxes in the province and own houses they don't live in, and create a new tax on pre-sale condo flipping.

A crackdown on money laundering is also promised, by ending anonymous property ownership.

The party released another plan last month — to end for-profit ownership of long-term care homes. It caused quite a stir with the government, who accused the Opposition of wanting to shut down nursing homes in the midst of a pandemic. The NDP has often sought to connect the Tories to the for-profit long-term care sector, which has seen a higher death rate than not-for-profits and municipally owned homes, alleging that initiatives like granting more liability protection to the homes is a favour to ex-PCs like Mike Harris, who chairs the board of Chartwell.

The new NDP plans come as party head Andrea Horwath has sought to position herself as a leader, instead of on the sidelines. In recent public statements, she has often used the phrase "if I were premier."

Only days after promising to address the crisis in long-term care, Doug Ford's budget cuts $100 million in LTC spending.

If I were premier, I would be making investments to save lives in long-term care now, not throwing in the towel. #onpoli

— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) November 6, 2020

“For decades, Conservatives and Liberal governments have made the housing crisis worse and worse,” Horwath said in a release. “They keep cooking up rules and loopholes that help billionaire investors swap up properties, leaving everyday people to compete for what’s left, at inflated prices. We believe you’ll be better off with a government that makes sure you can find a home you can afford.”

NDP releases housing plan, vowing to bring back rent control, end homelessness

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