Ontario has managed to unite tenant unions and landlord advocates, but probably not in a way it would like.

The Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy is holding public hearings on Wednesday and Thursday about Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act. The bill is the boldest Ford government housing plan yet. But critics say it still ignores basic changes that could unlock more affordable supply in favour of sprawl — and that the added housing could come at the cost of the environment.

Tenants say the new law will make housing cost more by big-footing municipal affordability bylaws. Small landlords feel the bill doesn't do enough to address eviction delays and renovation red tape. And environmental advocates have grave concerns about the impact on greenfields and conservation authorities.

The following quotes come from written submissions to the committee, sent to QP Briefing by the participants. Some spoke on Wednesday, and others are scheduled for Thursday. Their in-person remarks might differ from their submissions.

Renters

The Peel chapter of the tenant union ACORN said the bill will make affordability worse. Member Tanya Burkart notes that the bill defines "affordable" as 80 per cent of average market rent instead of the wider-used benchmark of 30 per cent of household income. An average Toronto one-bedroom cost $2,474/month in October, per one estimate. Eighty per cent of that is $1979.20.

Burkart said the bill hurts municipal inclusionary zoning bylaws "by imposing restrictions on how much affordable housing can cities provide and for how many years."

The bill also allows the housing minister to put limits on "rental replacement" bylaws — in force in Toronto and Mississauga — which require developers to replace affordable rental stock if they demolish them for new units.

"We cannot create new housing at the cost of worsening the housing crisis and forcing people out of their affordable homes," Burkart said.

Burkart also criticized the bill for letting builders off the hook for affordable housing development charges — which municipalities say will hurt their bottom lines.

Landlords

Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO) board member Varun Sriskanda said the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) needs to be overhauled. Landlords have complained that the LTB is backed up for months, leaving them with no way to evict problem tenants. And renters say the tribunal puts anyone who doesn't have the resources for legal representation at a disadvantage.

"Currently, housing providers in Ontario are waiting 10–12 months to evict a defaulting tenant. We need to bring that number down to 30 days," Sriskanda said.

Realtor, landlord and "Chief Millionaire Maker" Felix Vortsman agreed, saying a tenant in one of his 25 rental units hasn't paid rent since April.

Sriskanda said he was pleased, however, that the bill aims to speed up zoning changes to allow triplexes in single-family-home-zoned areas.

Vortsman said that it doesn't go far enough. Private landlords face "overly onerous, impractical and at times very costly, yet needless" building code hurdles to turn single-family homes into multi-unit dwellings, he said.

Vortsman also argued against rent control, saying Ontario is losing landlords to places like Alberta, which doesn't have rent control.

Environment

Irene Ford has been described by the Toronto Star as a "thorn" in the PC government's side. The former City of Toronto environmental research analyst has led a wave of grassroots opposition to Highway 413 and is now turning her attention to fighting housing sprawl.

The other Ford attacked the government for opening up the Greenbelt for development despite promising not to do so.

"Greenfield sprawl continues to be prioritized instead of growth in existing communities where servicing exists," she said.

Ford said the bill places too much emphasis on land approvals without taking into account other factors that contribute to the lack of housing starts. She noted that it doesn't affect the issue of developers sitting on land approved for development waiting for it to become more valuable.

Debbe Crandall of Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) had a similar list of environmental concerns.

Debbe Crandall, Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM).

Ford also criticized the cuts to conservation authorities' mandates.

"I trust conservation authorities. I do not trust my municipality because I know that they don’t have the staff, expertise or resources to comment on complex planning applications with environmental [and] natural hazard risks," she said.

Forests Ontario CEO Rob Keen called on the government not to "roll back 70 years of successful watershed management," and to encourage tree-planting.

"You’ve failed to listen to professionals, subject matter experts, ignore science and established best practices, make decisions that undermine protection of conservation authority-regulated land, the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine," Ford said. "When the natural disasters start I hope a judicial inquiry follows."

Tenants and landlords unite against Ontario’s new housing plan

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