If you’re among the 16,000 people in Eastern Ontario on a waiting list for affordable housing, help is on the way. But patience is needed.
That from Peter Emon, Chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus.
He says progress is being made on the Caucus’s “7 in 7+ Regional Housing Plan.” Its goal is to have municipalities build 7,000 rent-geared-to-income units in Eastern Ontario over the next seven years. But, if private groups partner with municipalities, Emon believes 28,000 homes can be built in the time span.
Emon and fellow Caucus members met with Parliament Hill politicians earlier this week to pitch the plan. He says municipalities have plenty of land to build on, but they need money from senior governments to make the plan work.
“Some have described it as a war-time effort, akin to what happened after the Second World War,” he says, referencing a time when governments rushed to build new homes amid high need.
“We’re saying, if we don’t do it, who’s going to do it? Nobody’s going to do it. The province and feds really need municipalities to do it, and we have a plan.”
Emon urges those who are fed up with a lack of affordable housing to call their MP and MPP and put pressure on them to support housing plans.