[homeles_ot-l] Jim Watson FW: Draft Hansard re Rent Bank Question in legislature from hansard April 30

[Lynne Browne]

FYI, Jim Watson on rent banks at Queens Park.

 

Lynne Browne 
Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness 
147 Besserer Street, Ottawa ON  K1N 6A7 
613-241-7913 x 205, lbrowne at ysb.on.ca 
www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca 

 

   _____  

From: Jennifer Ramsay [mailto:ramsayjg at lao.on.ca] 
Sent: April 30, 2008 4:38 PM
To: hhno-on at povnet.org
Subject: [hhno-on] Draft Hansard re Rent Bank Question in legislature from
hansard April 30

Rent bank programs 

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: My question is for the Minister of Housing. Debbie Palmer,
a single mom and laid off nurse, needed the help of the rent bank centre in
Sault Ste. Marie when she was waiting for EI to start. Today, rent bank
centres across Ontario, and particularly this one in Sault Ste. Marie, but
also in Coburg, Northumberland and Simcoe county are all out of funds and
turning away families who are facing eviction.

If the minister is so proud of his affordable housing program, why hasn’t he
committed any money in the 2008 budget for Ontario rent bank centres?

Hon. Jim Watson: As usual, the NDP are a day late. One of our members asked
this exact same question and I’ll give the same answer. We’re very proud of
the rent bank. We’ve put to date, $18.8 million into the rent bank,
including $4.8 million last year. I indicated that we are committed to
funding the rent bank in 2008.

We have asked for a study into the effectiveness and how to improve the rent
bank. I received that study about a week or so ago. We anticipate within the
next two weeks to have additional funds out to those rent banks that require
money because we recognize the value of the rent bank. It prevents evictions
from those people who have had a difficult time. As I said yesterday, it has
prevented 13,200 evictions in the province of Ontario and it saved $7.7
million in emergency shelter costs. It’s a great program and we’re very
proud of it.

Ms. Cheri DiNovo: Low-income earners rely on rent bank centres because we
barely have any affordable housing in this province. According to
anti-poverty groups, an affordable monthly rent is 30% of a person’s income.
For low-wage earners, ODSP and OW recipients, that’s less than $500 a month.

We just received a letter signed by this minister, that says there are only
486 units that rent at $500 or less across the entire province. No wonder we
have a waiting list of 170,000 households waiting for affordable housing.

How can this minister be proud of providing less than $500 units of truly
affordable housing and he’s had five years to do it in?

Hon. Jim Watson: Again ... 
L037-1450-30 follows 
(Ms. DiNovo) 
—proud of providing less than 500 units of truly affordable housing, and
he’s had five years to do it in? 
1450 
Hon. Jim Watson: Again, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to correct the NDP. We have
provided over $301 million for an affordable housing program that was
matched by the previous federal government. It’s called the “affordable
housing program,” and it includes a number of components: homeownership,
home repair. We also brought in a program of rent subsidies called the “ROOF
program,” the “DOOR program” for rent repairs.

When we brought forward $100 million, do you know what the NDP called $100
million in home repairs? “Meagre.” To me, that was an insult to the people
who are providing affordable housing.

On the rent bank, when my predecessor brought forward the rent bank, do you
know what the NDP said? The member from Beaches–East York said, “It means
almost nothing.”

I would urge the members of the NDP to get your act together and come
forward with one sensible position on how— 
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Thank you. New question.  

------

Jennifer Ramsay

Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator

Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)

425 Adelaide Street West, 5th Floor

Toronto, ON M5V 3C1

HYPERLINK "http://www.acto.ca/"www.acto.ca

416-597-5855 x5168

Toll free: 1-866-245-4182

E-mail: ramsayjg at lao.on.ca

 


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