Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government has appointed a nine-member task force to advise the on ways to address housing supply and affordability, find ways to boost the supply of rental and ownership housing, build housing in complete communities, reduce red tape, and other options to address housing issues.
Jake Lawrence, CEO and group head of global banking and markets at Scotiabank will chair the task force with the following members:
- David Wilkes, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Building Industry and Land Development Association
- Lalit Aggarwal, president, Manor Park Management
- David Amborski, professional urban planner and professor, Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning
- Julie Di Lorenzo, president, Diamante Urban Corp.
- Andrew Garrett, senior principal, real estate, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
- Tim Hudak, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Real Estate Association
- Justin Marchand, Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services
- Ene Underwood, Chief Executive Officer of the Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area
“Young families, seniors and all hardworking Ontarians are desperate for housing that meets their needs and budget,” said Premier Doug Ford. “At a time when our government is hard at work building an economy that works for everyone, this Task Force will provide us with concrete, expert advice that will support our government as we make it easier for more Ontarians to realize the dream of home ownership.”
The mandate of the Housing Affordability Task Force is to explore measures to address housing affordability by:
- Increasing the supply of market rate rental and ownership housing;
- Building housing supply in complete communities;
- Reducing red tape and accelerating timelines;
- Encouraging innovation and digital modernization, such as in planning processes;
- Supporting economic recovery and job creation; and
- Balancing housing needs with protecting the environment.
“Our government’s policies under the Housing Supply Action Plan are working to address affordability, but more needs to be done at all levels of government,” said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing.
“The task force will help our government build on our progress by identifying more opportunities to increase the supply of all kinds of housing, especially the missing middle. Under Mr. Lawrence’s strong leadership, I am confident in the expertise and experiences of this Task Force, and I thank them for their commitment to help us address the housing crisis.”
The Premier is also working with municipalities through the upcoming Provincial-Municipal Housing Summit and a special session with rural municipalities leading up to the ROMA conference in January 2022.