Over 100+ neighbours join Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and Matt Richter, Deputy Leader GPO at a Housing Town Hall in Bracebridge
Congratulations to Deputy Leader, Matt Richter!
We are sure you’ve heard the news, but we are absolutely thrilled to announce that our very own Matt Richter has been appointed Deputy Leader of the Ontario Greens! Matt will join Aislinn Clancy, MPP for Kitchener Centre and our fearless leader Mike Schreiner, MPP for Guelph to help drive party policies that help create new solutions to decades old problems that other parties have simply failed to solve.
Legalize It!
“How do we build homes that ordinary people can afford in existing communities where we’ve already paid to built infrastructure?”
This is the question that the Homes You Can Afford in Communities You Love Act hopes to address – updating outdated planning laws that keep us from building apartments, multiplexes and other types of missing middle housing in many municipalities across the province.
The proposed bill will amend the Planning Act to:
- Allow for fourplexes and four story apartments in neighbourhoods province-wide
- Allow for mid-rise buildings ranging from six to 11 stories on transit corridors and main streets.
To learn more: The Homes You Can Afford in Neighbourhoods You Love Act
On Monday evening, we heard voices from across Parry Sound-Muskoka echo our sentiments that:
- Rental properties are scarce and expensive
- People in our area are afraid of losing their homes to climbing rental prices
- Large “luxury” condo developments only help wealthy people downsize, leaving large homes empty and still unattainable
- In order for PSM to attract workers, we need affordable places to live
- Short-term rentals are eating up housing inventory
This new housing bill will make it easier to build this much needed local housing.
In an earlier meeting, Mike and Matt met with over 2 dozen municipal officials, housing advocates, builders and chamber representatives. There was broad agreement on solutions brought to the table by stakeholders and consensus that this bill is an important piece of the affordable housing solution. As one mayor said, “We need the will and we need leadership”. Addressing affordable housing requires a wartime like response. Mike urged participants to continue to get behind these solutions, push for action and share ideas across our communities.
If you weren’t able to attend last week, you can still show support for Mike’s bill by taking action on the Legalize it website – Legalize It
– Matt, Mike and the Parry Sound-Muskoka Ontario Greens Team