[homeles_ot-l] Debate Fw: Housing Network of Ontario Election Alert

[Lynne Browne]

Hello everyone - 

Below is news from the Housing Network of Ontario. Next Monday ATEH will release and send you too the responses from local Ottawa candidates to our 5 questions on homelessness and affordable housing (on our website - www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca).

DEBATE TUESDAY -  SEND EMAILS - use the 'contact' on the main party websites and ask that affordable housing be debated Tuesday night.  Ontarians at ALL income levels need housing that is affordable. 

Thanks, Lynne

----- Original Message -----
From: Housing Network of Ontario <info=stableandaffordable.com at mail7.us2.mcsv.net>
To: Lynne Browne
Sent: Wed Sep 21 07:24:12 2011
Subject: Housing Network of Ontario Election Alert

Welcome to the Newsletter of the

Housing Network of Ontario

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Newsletter prepared for:
Lynne Browne



Two and a half weeks until the election, and PC Party silent on affordable housing

The Housing Network of Ontario (HNO) is calling on all parties to commit to housing policies that ensure Ontarians of all incomes have access to good, livable housing they can afford. The HNO asked the Liberals, NDP and PC Party to outline their affordable housing policies and asked each party to commit to policies that included clear targets, funding, legislative change and accountability measures.

The PC Party response did not directly address the HNO questions and made no affordable housing commitments, instead focusing on removing the HST from home heating and hydro.

In response to the HNO’s questions, the Liberals pointed to their past achievements in the area of affordable housing. The Liberals recently introduced a long-term affordable housing strategy that provided greater flexibility for municipalities to address housing needs and recently matched federal housing funding for the next three years. The Liberals have also said they will consider a new housing benefit for low-income tenants but have not allocated any funding for such a program.

The NDP released their housing platform after they completed the HNO questions, and made commitments to a ten year housing plan to build 50,000 new units, with 14,000 of those coming in the next four years. They also committed to fund a new housing benefit at a cost of $240 million a year, and to introduce inclusionary housing legislation requiring affordable housing in new developments.

Access to quality housing that they can afford is a vitally important issue for a high percentage of voters. The Housing Network of Ontario hopes to see this reflected in the candidate debates, and in increased commitments by the parties to address the needs of the Ontarians they are hoping to serve.


*	29% of Ontario households are tenant households.
*	152,000 households are on waitlists for affordable housing.
*	13 percent of Ontario households live in poverty – the rate is higher for people from racialized, immigrant, and Aboriginal communities, women, seniors, youth and people with disabilities.
*	627,530 households in Ontario are unable to afford shelter that meets adequacy, suitability and affordability norms, placing them in core housing need.
*	Last year in Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo Region 32,291 people stayed in homeless shelters.


The HNO formed in 2008, and over 450 organizations and individuals have endorsed our Declaration.  Full responses from the parties are available on the HNO website. As candidates hold debates, canvas in your community and seek your vote, remind them that on October 6th you will cast your vote for housing!

For more information visit our web site:  www.stableandaffordable.com <http://stableandaffordable.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=632b43a62d06737716e44285e&id=6df732e33e&e=0a84ed8c78> 


	
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