Affordable Housing Now!

To: Legislative Assembly of Ontario

All Ontarians have a right to affordable housing.

Whereas an unacceptable number of individuals and families are ‘precariously housed’, meaning they are in a state of uncertainty around their living environment due to low wages, high rents, high utility costs and/or substandard living conditions (Affordable Housing Action Network),

Whereas, according to Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association’s Report on Waiting List Statistics for Ontario, it is estimated that there are 142,000 individuals and families on Ontario’s subsidized housing waiting list and the number is growing,

Whereas, according to City of Toronto’s Report Card on Homelessness, the current waiting list for 2 bedroom units and larger is 10-15 years,

Whereas The Daily Food Bank reported that, in 2008, the average food bank clients used 68% of their income on rent,

Whereas there is $50 million left from a rent supplement program that municipalities have a flexibility to allocate the funds according to local needs (The Toronto Star, September 15, 2010),

Whereas there are not enough units contracted by the City to provide affordable housing to those in need,

Whereas, according to Statics Canada, this will affect Ontarians not just on an emotional but also on a physical level,

Whereas instability with regards to financial matters has a negative impact on one’s physical and mental well being and it affects everyone that is involved in these people’s lives (CBC News, May 9, 2005).