Further to our recent email
regarding Bill 66 and what you can do to have your
voice heard, The Toronto Star has published this clear
concise outline of what is happening and what it means
to us. Developing the Greenbelt is a
disaster on multiple levels
BILD (Building Industry and Land
Development) has had a number of articles in The Toronto Star
Real estate section and some local papers that
suggest land restrictions are driving up housing
supply/affordability. It is important that we all
challenge these assertions by the development
industry.
What the articles by developers don’t say:
· Developers caused major delays by taking municipal plans to the OMB- something they can’t do anymore thanks to new provincial policy- LPAT
· Housing prices have decreased since the high in 2017 and are expected to moderate (CMHC Housing Market Outlook)
· The 2017 Growth Plan increases density – by making more efficient use of land, (less sprawl) requiring fewer km of pipes, which should help reduce house prices, especially if as they say land is the biggest cost factor.
· Intensification and infill makes housing more affordable and provides alternative forms of housing, laneway, mid-rise, etc.
· Location remains one of the key drivers of real estate prices and rental prices. People want to live close to amenities and many are willing to pay handsomely to live in downtown Toronto or along the waterfront (rental study).
· Population growth hasn’t met forecasts (See Neptis presentation).
· Growth Plan wasn’t updated using 2016 census data – municipalities, particularly in the outer ring may be projecting more growth than they will achieve. This could impact the affordability of growth related infrastructure paid by municipalities (i.e. big pipes, etc- See paper by Kevin Eby)
· Commuting by car is expensive. Commuting costs affect the affordability of a less expensive house on the edge of the GTHA. (CMHC study- Is the Commute Worth It?)
· Building more single family homes on the edge of our cities increases congestion on the highways- congestion cost the GTHA between $ 6 billion per year or $125 per household according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Better public transit is a key part of the solution.
· If municipalities are permitted to expand their boundaries, it puts increasing pressure on the Greenbelt.
We expect more media articles in the coming weeks. Please send in letters to your local papers to put the record straight whenever you can.
Stop this bill
Help protect our Greenbelt.
Contact Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones to voice your concerns about Bill 66 potential for environmental destruction and water contamination all for the profits of big developers:
sylvia.jonesco@pc.ola.org
1-800-265-1603
519-941-7751
Now, more than ever, we must take care of our enviroment. Have we learned nothing from the Walkerton tragedy and disastrous consequences of climate change (eg. increase and severity of wild fires this past summer)? We should be doing more, not less to protect our green spaces and clean water from over-development.
Bill 66 puts profit before environment. This is both fool-hardy and short-sighted.
This bill must be stopped!