Pellerin: Ontario's new housing bill won't reduce homelessness
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A new noise bylaw will make it easier for Ottawans to whoop it up a little louder, and I suppose that's good. But it won't prompt those of us who are waiting for visible progress in the fight against homelessness and housing unaffordability to scream for joy. Recent news reports have us quietly optimistic at best.
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When the provincial government introduced a bill Monday to speed up new housing construction by lowering fees for developers, I immediately called Ottawa housing expert Carolyn Whitzman, author of the fantastic book Home Truths: Fixing Canada's Housing Crisis, to see what she thought.
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A nothingburger, she said, as we chatted by phone Tuesday morning, each watching our own TV to see who would be appointed federal housing minister.
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When he announced the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 in Vaughanon Monday, Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack said the bill aimed to make it 'more affordable to build and buy a home in Ontario.' The legislation does that by limiting municipal studies into new developments and speeding up the approval process for minor variances.
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Given that the devil is always in the details, I went looking into the text of the bill for some kind of definition of 'minor' variances. It's on page 9, where it says minor variances are small changes to zoning bylaws. Jeez, thanks.
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Those small changes currently have to be approved by a committee after a four-stage process. Under the new legislation, the minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will have the power to allow variations to be permitted 'as-of-right' and thus greatly reduce 'barriers for development.'
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In addition, the legislation will 'streamline' development charges, prevent municipalities from imposing standards that go beyond the provincial building code and – ah, yes – limit the number of affordable units that municipalities can require in a given development. No wonder Ottawa home builders are happy.
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I don't want homebuilders miserable but theirs is not the only happiness we should pursue.
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As Whitzman points out, reducing red tape and development charges will do nothing for people who are homeless or in danger of becoming so. 'In general people don't move from an encampment to a subdivision in Markham,' she says. 'If you're talking about the housing crisis, it needs to be broken down in terms of who needs what housing, where and at what cost.'
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In addition to happy for-profit developers, we need a whole bunch of new non-market housing, co-ops, supportive housing and all manner of affordable homes for those whose household income is less than six figures. Remember, affordable housing shouldn't cost you more than 30 per cent of your household's gross income. If that number is $50,000, then your housing shouldn't cost you more than $15,000 a year, or $1,250 a month. Good luck finding that in Ottawa unless you're prepared to share a one-bedroom apartment with someone else.
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Global News
9 hours ago
- Global News
Fewer Ontario cities will hit housing targets amidst ‘major crisis': minister
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Winnipeg Free Press
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As the official Beer of UEFA Men's National Team Football, Carlsberg wants to bring more access to the best of football around the world. With taxi drivers key to the nighttime economy, playing a fundamental role in helping fans enjoy the game fully – and ensuring they have a safe journey home – Carlsberg created the 'Fare Game' event to give back to theses drivers who so often miss out on watching football live. This comes as global research, commissioned by Carlsberg, revealed that whilst 9 in 10 taxi drivers around the world call themselves football fans, almost two thirds (60%) miss major football matches due to work. In fact, over half (58%) are simply unable to afford to take the time off, with financial pressures being a driving factor (86%). If they do make the tough call to tune into a match and sacrifice fares, they can lose out on upwards of £200 – demonstrating the real cost of being a fan behind the wheel. Perhaps that's why 9 in 10 have chosen to work when a sporting moment is on despite wanting to watch it. The taxi drivers arrived at The Fare Game cab park – the ultimate spectator zone specifically created by Carlsberg in Berlin to host the drivers – to watch the match on a cinematic screen. With Carlsberg 0.0 beer available for free, the delighted drivers could kick back, enjoy tasty snacks and cheer on their national team with fellow drivers. Topping this all off was the reassurance that Carlsberg would cover the full fare, so they weren't left out of pocket. "That was incredible. I was very surprised, I felt like a superstar. I had no idea about anything. There were so many people cheering us on. Thank you Carlsberg for giving us the opportunity to enjoy the match. It was just incredible!", said taxi driving football fan Mehdi Tamaz. With such a passion for the sport, missing out on big sporting events hits taxi drivers personally too. 6 out of 10 taxi drivers report that hearing celebrations while driving the streets heightens the feeling of missing out on a big sporting event, and a further 58% say they feel like a less dedicated fan when unable to watch live sporting events due to work. Choosing work over the football also sees taxi drivers miss out on the shared experience of watching with loved ones and other fans, something two fifths (58%) say they miss out on the most. And for those working, it means they have often watched a key moment like a semi-final match, with a passenger in the car (57%). Taxi drivers are often relied on by football fans to get them to the game, with 57% having helped fans make games they would have otherwise probably missed. This reliance on cabbies however leaves many having to resort to finding other ways to keep up to date with the latest scores. In fact, a fifth (21%) depend on the radio to keep up with the action and almost a quarter (26%) rely on asking their passengers for updates on the game. Meanwhile over a quarter are forced to use their breaks to catch the highlights (28%) or have even pulled over during rides to watch live moments of a match (27%). Lynsey Woods, Global Brand Director at Carlsberg said,"Carlsberg is committed to giving everyone access to the best of football and through our new partnership with UEFA, we were able to make this happen for some of the biggest fans out there – taxi drivers. We recognized that the dedication of taxi drivers to keep our city moving often meant they missed out on the biggest matches globally. So, we wanted to create an unforgettable experience for them and offer taxi drivers access to the game, allowing them to enjoy the best of football surrounded by other likeminded passionate fans." To bring the campaign to life, a short documentary film captured the drivers' emotional journey and the best moments from the event, with the film highlighting the sacrifices these drivers make and the power of shared experiences, find out more on Fare Game here. As part of Carlsberg's sponsorship of UEFA Men's National Team Football, the brand will continue to offer fans access to the best of football. About Carlsberg Group: Established in 1847 by brewer J.C. Jacobsen, the Carlsberg Group is one of the leading brewery groups in the world, with an attractive portfolio of beer and other beverage brands. With over 30.000 employees, and with a presence in more than 125 markets, the Group has a purpose of brewing for a better today and tomorrow. Doing business responsibly and sustainably supports that purpose – and drives the efforts to deliver value for shareholders and society. For further information, visit The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2600 taxi drivers (18+) in the UK (1,000), Portugal (500), Germany (1,000) and China (100). The data was collected between 15.05.2025 – 22.05.2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
