Solutions? There Are A Few
Things That Matter, By Dennis Rizzo
There’s an old saying that raising expectations when the outcome is unattainable is a recipe for disaster. We seem to have done this to our children and grandchildren.
Housing remains a significant issue for individuals and young families. The disconnect between cost and income has grown exponentially in the last generation.
Quoting from Homesight.org, “At the heart of the intersection between economic inequality and the housing market lies the issue of affordability. Housing affordability is typically measured by the percentage of household income spent on housing costs. Traditionally, it is advised that households should not spend more than 30% of their income on housing. However, the reality is starkly different for many low-income households who often spend 50% or more of their income on rent or mortgage payments, leaving little for other essentials like food, healthcare, and education.”
This means if you are a basic income earner in Ontario making $45-60,000 annually all-in your rent should be $1,125-1,500 per month. Instead, as anyone seeking shelter today can tell you, rents are in the range of $2,200-2,500 per month. The average rent for all bedrooms and all property types in Orillia is $2,250.
Landlords are usually fingered as the culprits. Yet, they are the ones taking the risk and managing the finances of your home. If they do this properly it can be costly and a major headache for them. This is especially true with small-scale landlords and those renting or sub-letting granny suites.
We have all seen, or even experienced, instances where a tenant has had to endure bad management. But we also need to remember there can be tenants who trash a place, leaving the landlord in the hole for repairs and rent. An overhaul of the entire tenant-landlord process is needed, focusing on small unit rentals rather than following the policies and practice of large property management firms and hedge investors or the opposing tenant advocates who want no renter responsibility. But that’s for someone more knowledgeable to discuss.
Potential Solutions From Habitat for Humanity
· Affordable Housing Initiatives: Governments can actively invest in affordable housing projects, providing incentives to developers who commit to building affordable units.
· Rent Control and Tenant Protections: Implementing fair rent control policies and providing robust tenant protections can safeguard renters from arbitrary rent hikes and eviction threats, fostering stable living conditions.
· Zoning and Land Use Reform: Re-evaluating zoning regulations can help unlock the potential for higher-density housing in urban areas, making better use of available land and reducing sprawl. It can also encourage mixed-use developments that promote vibrant communities.
· Homelessness Prevention Programs: Governments and nonprofits can implement targeted programs to prevent homelessness, offering support to individuals and families at risk of losing their homes.
· Promoting Alternative Housing Models: Exploring and supporting alternative housing models, such as co-housing, tiny homes, and community land trusts, can offer more affordable and sustainable living options.
Some Potential Solutions From McLeans
Build Tiny Homes Fast – In a parking lot in Gatineau, Quebec, a village of candy-hued shipping containers is pointing the way out of the homelessness crisis. One such site is open in Orillia and the youth housing project points to this approach. There are dozens of models for tiny home and affordable home construction that can be applied if we eschew the traditional developer models.
Get Kids Into the Trades – Giving teens apprenticeships will fill our labour gaps and help build much-needed housing stock. One example is the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program where students in high school programs complete placements throughout a semester.
Turn Industrial Relics Into Housing – Canadian cities are full of derelict factories, warehouses and transportation infrastructure stations. Orillia’s West Street South is chock full of potential sites.
Automate the Red Tape – Edmonton became the first city in Canada to automate development permits for detached and semi-detached homes. Builders can fill out specs online and begin construction the same day.
Take the Profit Out of Housing – European cities are building affordable public housing, supportive housing and co-ops faster, better and more beautifully than us. What does Europe have that Canada doesn’t? For starters, way more non-profit housing. Cities across the continent are building affordable public housing, supportive housing and co-ops.
Build on Parking Lots – Parking lots occupy massive swathes of valuable urban land. We need to reclaim it.
Speed Up the Trains – High-speed rail (HSR) can connect inexpensive communities to bustling urban labour markets. HSR is not new: Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train has been around since 1964, and France’s double-deck TGV since 1981. Both exceed 300 kilometres per hour. At those speeds, the four-hour drive from Windsor to Toronto would take barely an hour. But HSR has never made inroads in Canada, despite politicians sporadically touting it.
Open Up Public Land – Underused public land could house hundreds of thousands of Canadians – if governments make it accessible. Last year, the government resurrected the strategy, pledging to free up enough land to build 250,000 homes. These would be built on locations like former military sites, Canada Post properties and federal office buildings.
Make Apartments Bigger – Canada’s housing shortage is especially difficult for families, with housing starts dominated by small apartments and condos. One fix? Rezone single-family neighbourhoods for duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.
Overhaul Zoning Laws – Municipal governments refuse to allow the housing abundance Canada needs. It’s time for higher orders of government to step in and do something about it.
Construct Homes On An Assembly Line – Prefab housing will transform archaic building techniques – and produce safer, better, cheaper buildings. You may soon even be able to choose a house from a catalogue. This year, the federal government plans to launch pre-approved prefab designs that builders and buyers can choose from to speed up housing delivery.
What’s Your Take On This?
We need to think about the possibilities instead of the barriers. And we need to accept that most of us started out renting before buying our first home. Without that step we are expecting a lot more than we can usually handle; and as noted, raising expectations without attainable possibilities can lead to some serious crash and burn.
(Images Supplied)
Dennis Rizzo joins SUNonline/Orillia as a columnist writing on big issues affecting ordinary Orillians. He is an ex-pat Yank from New Jersey. Orillia, Ontario. Canada is his adopted home, but he has brought along a degree of puckishness and hubris. Dennis spent more than 30 years working in the field of disabilities, with some side trips to marketing and management. He presented and keynoted for many conferences and served on a President’s advisory committee. Dennis is the author of several journal articles and booklets in the field of disabilities and work and five non-fiction books, including “A Brief History of Orillia – Ontario’s Sunshine City.” He recently republished a novel set in 1776 and a mystery set in 1860. He also enjoys sitting in on music sessions around town when he can.
