As the cost-of-living skyrockets in Ontario, there are more conversations about the affordability of living in the province’s major cities. While there are great housing solutions and recommendations, there are still gaps remaining in suggested policy change.
In response to public concern about the housing crisis in Ontario, in December 2021, the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force was formed. Its purpose was to determine how Ontario can increase the market housing supply and improve affordability. The task force recommended that Ontario should build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.
Although the chair of the Task Force recognized that housing in the province does not meet the needs of Ontarians, and that “too many Ontarians are unable to live in their preferred city or town because they cannot afford to buy or rent”, the report ultimately does not address the issues of wage stagnation, or the commodification of housing, nor does it focus on affordability or consider the needs of those with unstable housing, those facing homelessness, or students, minimum wage workers, and seniors. During consultations, they did not include housing advocates, people with lived experiences of poverty, or non-profits working with those struggling with eviction, foreclosure, or homelessness.
How we define a problem determines what gets done. Who decides the solutions, and who benefits the most when those solutions are implemented must also be dialogued about. – Salomeh Ahmadi, lead investigator, Humber College
We must centre housing solutions around the most vulnerable people in our communities. If the definition of affordable housing continues to be decided upon by those least impacted by unaffordability, then the ongoing work to address the housing crisis continues.
Bill 23
Recently, the provincial government pushed through Bill 23, which further ignores the need for more affordable housing. While it aims to streamline the housing development process, the proposed changes will worsen affordability, including scrapping development charges on inclusionary zoning projects, reducing the number of affordable units and affordability periods for inclusionary zoning policies, and eliminating “unnecessary” approvals and roles. Many of these changes will benefit developers, giving them opportunities to build homes in more areas, with less charges and consultations to navigate.
While building more housing is a part of the long-term solution, the types of housing, family-sized, affordability (adequacy and suitability) and who will be able to access it (and not just via a handful of lottery tickets) are serious considerations. If, however, housing is viewed mainly or only as a financialization tool to push forward capital and investment, then the needs of those most marginalized are ignored in favor of those with power – further enforcing inequities around the social determinants of health (WHO, 2008; WHO 2018; Dahlgren 1991; Marmot, 2010). Health and well-being are not static and are in a constant state of flux especially given the sky-rocketing cost of living in 2022.
A home is more than just rent
The cultural, psychological and social values borne out of a home is something more than the material object of housing, which has long been recognised (Karjalainen, 1993), this is imperative for a city to thrive. This indicates the range of ways in which dwellings, and places called home, offer sites of control, autonomy and socialisation, and a basis for social identity and status, (Després, 1991; Tomas, 1995).
Housing service, tenants’ experience of both property quality and aspects of neighbourhood are correlated with measures of of health and wellbeing (Rolf et al, 2020). This has a domino effect on all facets of holistic well-being and social services. Housing precarity should be included in health assessments and screenings when accessing services. Security of tenure, rent levels, income levels, social networks, positive tenancy experience (Rolfe, 2020), all contribute and have a domino effect on all other aspects of life, including family, childcare or parental care, work, access to amenities and community supports.
We are missing housing solutions for all of our community members and we, citizens and government, must demand an increase in the supply of affordable housing and preservation of the affordable stock (what’s remaining), which meets the needs of low- and median-income tenants. We cannot solely focus on home ownership and condominiums when a large percentage of residents are tenants, many paying more than 30% of their income on shelter costs.
Recommendations
The SEHA study emphasize the need to support all our community members and ensure they have somewhere to call home, through the following:
- Rent control is needed on all units. Additionally, above guideline rent increases, renovictions, vacancy control, and the financialization of housing must be addressed.
- Reinvest in supportive and community housing as part of the solution to the affordability crisis. Subsidies and repairs are necessary to keep households out of core and severe housing need, especially for low-income households.
- Redefine housing affordability. Use accurate benchmarks and a thriving framework, such as Wellesley Institute’s Thriving in the City framework, so our communities not only survive but can thrive.
Principal Investigator
Research Assistant Natalie Pilla
References
Dahlgren G, Whitehead M. Policies and strategies to promote social equity in health: background document to WHO–strategy paper for Europe. Geneva: WHO Europe; 1991.2.
Marmot M. Fair society: health lives. Strategic review of health inequalities in England post-2010. London: The Marmot Review; 2010.4.
Rolfe, S., Garnham, L., Godwin, J., Anderson, I., Seaman, P., & Donaldson, C. (2020). Housing as a social determinant of health and wellbeing: developing an empirically-informed realist theoretical framework. BMC Public Health, 20, 1-19.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.humber.ca/10.1186/s12889-020-09224-0
World Health Organization. WHO housing and health guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.
World Health Organization. Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on social determinants of health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.3.
Karjalainen PT. House, home and the place of dwelling. Scandinavian Housing Plan Res. 1993;10(2):65–74.13.
Després C. The meaning of home: literature review and directions for future research and theoretical development. J Architectural Plan Res. 1991;8(2):96–115.14.
Tomas A, Dittmar H. The experience of homeless women: an exploration of housing histories and the meaning of home. Hous Stud. 1995;10(4):493–515.
