ONPHA COMMENTS ON HOUSING STRATEGY

Strategy recognizes importance of community-based housing for Ontario's future

HAMILTON, ON, Nov. 29 /CNW/ - The Province released its highly anticipated Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy today accompanied by housing and community sector stakeholders; including the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA).

The Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced details of the strategy which presents a framework for Ontario's affordable housing system in the years ahead. Key aspects of the strategy include:

• A people-centred focus
• Increased flexibility to address unique local housing needs.
• A commitment to the exploration of a Housing Benefit for low-income families; an initiative championed by ONPHA and its partners in the Housing Benefit Coalition.
• Legislative changes with less prescription and streamlined administration to make housing administration and delivery easier for community-based non-profit housing providers and their Service Managers.

"This strategy, and the accompanying legislative reforms, should create much needed local flexibility; allowing communities to better engage the power of community-based non-profit housing providers in meeting local housing needs," said Sharad Kerur, ONPHA's Executive Director. "ONPHA's members have long advocated for increased flexibility as a central requirement to improve local housing outcomes and it is encouraging to see this reflected in the strategy."

While the strategy includes a focus on streamlining some administrative aspects of the rent-geared-to-income housing system and increased flexibility for both local communities and tenants, it does not address the critical need for increased investment in new development and the on-going maintenance of existing properties - key public assets that must be protected for future generations.

"We do thank this government for the significant investments in housing it has made in recent years and we recognize that the current economic situation has posed many challenges for them. However, the potential of any strategy cannot be fully realized unless it is properly funded," said Kerur. "We would encourage the government to continue providing even limited funding in this current economic climate and to adopt some of the innovative financing solutions that the community-based housing sector will be proposing."

For over 20 years, ONPHA has been the voice of non-profit housing in Ontario. Our 755 member organizations operate more than 160,000 non‐profit housing units and provide housing for approximately 400,000 people such as the elderly, low‐income families with children, the working poor, victims of violence and abuse, people living with developmental disabilities, mental illness, HIV/AIDS or addictions and the formerly homeless/hard‐to‐house.

For further information:

Sharad Kerur
Executive Director, Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association
(Cell): 416-723-2835
Email: [email protected]