KITCHENER — MPP Aislinn Clancy and MPP Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that housing starts in April slumped to a six-year low.
“After five years of dithering, scandal and flip-flops, the new figures on housing starts are conclusive proof that the government has no clue how to solve the housing crisis.
Instead of bold leadership and innovative housing policies, we’re getting more half-measures that have no hope of meeting the target of 1.5 million homes by 2030.
The shocking new figures – housing starts last month down a disastrous 37 percent on last year making it the worst April since 2018 – should be a wake-up call for a government more focused on wealthy speculators than building homes people can afford in the communities they love.
We once again call on the government to implement the bold housing solutions we have been putting forward for years, including:
- Legalizing gentle density by allowing fourplexes and four-story apartments in all neighbourhoods, and six to 11 stories on major streets;
- Protecting renters by reimplementing rent and vacancy control and cracking down on illegal evictions;
- Building hundreds of thousands affordable and supportive community rental homes; and
- Getting speculation out of the housing market.”