The Government of Ontario has put together a Housing Affordability Task Force which will consist of 9 experts to provide recommendations on further opportunities to address housing supply and affordability.
Affordable housing across Ontario is vital to our industry. Limited availability of affordable rental housing impedes the ability of our workers to live close to where they work, impacting regional workforce retention, especially in tourism and resort communities where visitor numbers have contributed to high rental costs and housing prices. Ultimately, impacts to tourism labour force recruitment and retention affect the sustainability and growth of tourism activity in high traffic tourism destinations—especially in rural areas.
TIAO is excited about the task force and will be looking to contribute and collaborate when possible.
The Task Force will explore measures to address housing affordability by:
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Increasing the supply of market rate rental and ownership housing;
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Building housing supply in complete communities;
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Reducing red tape and accelerating timelines;
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Encouraging innovation and digital modernization, such as in planning processes;
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Supporting economic recovery and job creation; and
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Balancing housing needs with protecting the environment.
The chair’s report outlining the Task Force’s recommendations will be published in early 2022.
Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, has named the chair and members of Ontario’s new Housing Affordability Task Force. The members include:
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Jake Lawrence, CEO and Group Head of Global Banking and Markets at Scotiabank, will serve as Chair of the Task Force.
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Lalit Aggarwal, President of Manor Park Holdings, a real estate development and operating company.
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David Amborski, a Professor at Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and the founding Director of the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development (CUR).
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Julie Di Lorenzo, President of Diamante Urban Corp., one of the largest female-run real estate companies in Canada.
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Andrew Garrett, Senior Principal, Real Estate, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario.
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Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), Canada’s largest provincial real estate industry association representing 82,000 REALTORS®.
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Justin Marchand, is Métis and is CEO of Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services.
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Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (Habitat GTA), a non-profit housing developer serving Toronto, Brampton, Caledon and the Regions of Durham and York.
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David Wilkes, appointed President and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association of the Greater Toronto Area (BILD).
To read the entire government news release, please visit Ontario Appoints Housing Affordability Task Force | Ontario Newsroom