In early 2020, Ottawa City Council declared a housing emergency, amplifying ongoing calls for more affordable housing units. Four years later, we are continuing to see the demand for affordable housing outpace the availability of units.
Affordable Housing
Not only is the average wait time for affordable housing 5 or more years, the Ottawa Social Housing Registry estimates that 12,000+ households are waiting for an affordable rental unit at any given time. We know that Black and Indigenous people, along with Immigrants, Refugees, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are disproportionately struggling to access affordable, secure housing.
My commitments to making housing affordable include;
- Get the federal government back in the business of building housing by advocating for social and community housing built by a public builder.
- Provide rental support to affordable housing providers and co-ops.
- Fund projects that turn unused and vacant federal properties, including surplus office buildings, into non-profit housing.
- Re-introduce 30-year terms to CMHC-insured mortgages for first-time home buyers and double the current Home Buyer’s Tax Credit.