All across Ontario, people are struggling to buy or rent a home.
First-time home buyers cannot stretch their incomes to reach the down payment needed, seniors on modest fixed incomes cannot keep pace with the soaring costs of ‘seniors housing’ and the at-risk population, whether through economic, social or health predicaments, can’t get out of the cycle of dependence on shelters or transitional housing, and there aren’t enough of those in the system to stop the flow of people into homelessness.
The reality is that many cannot keep up with the cost of housing, and the cost of living.
The Region of Halton’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy (2014-2024) confirms the challenges around housing supply, and that the current supply of market and non-market housing relies on the private sector, not-for-profit organizations, co-operatives and the Region of Halton.
Seniors need more options for home sharing, co-housing and less expensive rental options without the fear of being reno-victed. Retirement buildings are often double the cost of the equivalent space in a non-senior building – a recent inquiry resulted in a rent of $3,700 per month for a single person, independent living, with no services.
In my opinion, Milton has not been well served with community housing in the last decade.
Minister for Housing Sean Fraser was in Milton recently to listen to the community’s issues and suggestions to improve the current situation. Suggestions included reintroducing housing subsidies and the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit, tax rebates on first-time home mortgages, low-interest construction financing, more money for transitional housing, co-op housing, and
affordable housing units to be built.
Encouraging shared housing models would also combat isolation as well as providing financial stability and would increase the number of beds available within the existing neighbourhoods.
Federal programmes including The Housing Accelerator Fund, the Rapid Housing Initiative, Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund’s (CHIF), have been applied for and funds made available yet housing starts in Milton are sluggish, with many stakeholders saying that financing costs are too high, reporting and application requirements are too restrictive.
Even Habitat for Humanity, an organization building low-cost housing for families at risk of homelessness, and known for its cost-efficient construction methods, reports that the cost to build is $500,000 per housing unit.
Milton is among the fastest-growing municipalities in the GTA, with a population increase of 20.7 per cent over the past eight years; and with ambitious growth targets for newcomers from now till 2050. According to a recent forecast, 6,900 new units need to be built in the three years from Sept 2023 – 2026, double the rate that has recently been experienced.
But the facts are clear: developers won’t build if unit sales are low. Developers can’t build if the approvals process is lengthy, or financing costs are too high. Community organizations and housing authorities need support to solve this crisis.
The Town of Milton has crafted planning policies to respond to the provincial government’s ‘Cutting red tape’ initiatives, to bring more housing units onstream. Yet, almost a year after applying for funding under the Housing Accelerator Fund, studies are still needed before the plan can be rolled out. Nonetheless, 22 new affordable rental units have recently been brought onstream through funds from the Housing Accelerator Fund – a drop in the bucket compared to the 800 promised to be built by 2027.
The Allendale Development Project has been approved in Milton and is ready to build; but requires funding from federal & provincial levels of government to proceed. Phase 1 of the Allendale Development would bring 228 assisted living units focused on seniors, and 277 market units, making a significant difference to waitlists and housing pressures in Milton.
We urge the Federal government, Province of Ontario, and the Region of Halton, to make the Allendale project a priority for housing construction.
Furthermore, we urge the Federal government to support initiatives from community organizations who have capacity to build community housing whether in small or medium sized projects, and to re-introduce financial support to those at risk in our community. The solutions are available; we need political action to make them real.
Marina Huissoon, Architect
Advocacy Chair, CFUW Milton & District
