Investing and Improving Community Housing for Sarnia-Lambton’s Most Vulnerable

Investing and Improving Community Housing for Sarnia-Lambton’s Most Vulnerable

Province Making Community Housing Safer, More Efficient and Sustainable

SARNIA-LAMBTON – Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey is pleased to announce today that the Ontario government has allocated more than $4.6 million in our local area to help sustain, repair and grow community housing and help end homelessness.

“Our government believes Ontario families shouldn’t have to live in buildings with crumbling walls, leaking roofs and broken elevators,” says MPP Bailey. “We will work with the province and non-profits to address issues like safety, overcrowding and long wait lists.”

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s efforts to put people first by providing more than $1 billion across the province, in addition to creating a new Community Housing Renewal Strategy. This plan will help transform a fragmented and inefficient system into one that is more streamlined, sustainable and ready to help people who need it most.

Today’s announcement about the substantial investments in Sarnia-Lambton includes $2,276,742 for the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative, $1,029,000 towards the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative, $864,312 through the Home for Good program, and  $392,890 for Investment in Affordable Housing in Ontario.

“The current community housing system is a maze of complex rules and red tape. Many community housing buildings are in disrepair, there are safety issues and wait lists are too long,” adds MPP Bailey.

The province is also looking at new ways of thinking about community housing – whether they are not-for-profit, co-operative or municipally-owned – that focus on the people who need these services most.

Ontario’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy includes early steps to improve community housing across the province:

  • Encouraging tenants to seek opportunities at school and work by removing existing penalties for working more hours or going to college or university;
  • Making rent more predictable by simplifying rent calculations;
  • Freeing up the waitlist by having tenants prioritize their first choice and accept the first unit they are offered, while allowing Service Managers the flexibility to make exceptions in extenuating circumstances;
  • Protecting tenants who receive child support payments by ensuring their rent is not impacted by payments;
  • Making housing available to those who truly need it by requiring an asset test;
  • Making housing safer by empowering housing providers to turn away tenants who have been evicted for criminal activity.

Quick Facts

  • In 2014-18, Ontario contributed 57 per cent of housing and homelessness spending, compared with just 17 per cent from the federal government.
  • 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.

    For more information, contact

    Bob Bailey, MPP

    bob.bailey@pc.ola.org, 519-337-0051

     

    Julie O’Driscoll

    Director of Communications

    Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing

    Julie.o’driscoll@ontario.ca, 416-585-6492