Official Opposition Deputy Leader Sol Mamakwa and Sudbury MPP Jamie West are criticizing the Ford government for what they say is the failure to address the lack of affordable housing in Northern Ontario.
"Ford's lack of housing strategy is failing the people of Northern Ontario," said West in a news release. "Families want affordable brick-and-mortar houses and apartments, not accounting tricks to fudge that data. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) doesn’t count housing as anything without its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom.
“Still somehow, in Sudbury, LTC (long-term care) beds are now counted as 36 per cent of the Conservatives 2023 housing target? It’s even more laughable in North Bay where the LTC beds make up nearly 80 percent of their housing targets.”
The MPPs said Sudbury and North Bay surpassed their 2023 housing targets by 156 and 277 percent, respectively, only after an incentive program was introduced in late 2023 to include LTC beds in the count.
Without this change, the NDP members said neither city would have met their housing targets. In Sudbury, LTC beds made up 36 per cent of the 2023 housing target, while in North Bay, the proportion was nearly 80 per cent, the NDP said.
"Ford is trying to sidestep his responsibility," Mamakwa said. “If we're going to label beds as homes, let's raise the housing targets for truly affordable housing. Northern Ontario needs diverse housing solutions, such as single-room occupancy, small housing options, and multi-family units. Right now, Ford is not providing that — instead, he's subjecting us to legislation tailored for Toronto.”
