>> Steve: Ontario does have its share of problems but there may be no more vexing one than
housing.
How do we create enough places to live for all the people who live here?
Mike Schreiner has some ideas and has put them in two private members' bills currently before
the legislature.
And the leader of the Green Party and MPP for Guelph is here with us now.
Thanks for coming in.
>> Mike: Good to be here.
>> Steve: Here's what you're pitching: Bill 44, the building more homes.
And major corridors act.
What problem are these bills trying to solve?
>> Mike: They're trying to solve the housing affordability crisis.
We know as many people in part of the conversation know is that we have a housing spry crisis
and these are two bills that will address that crisis and do it in a way to build more
affordable supply in places where people want to live.
Cross to where they work so we don't have to open the greenbelt for development.
>> Steve: That's another issue, okay.
Ending exclusionary zoning.
We need to know what exclusionary zoning is if you want to end it.
>> Mike: If you look across Ontario and many cities in Ontario, you have vast
neighbourhoods with single family detached houses.
This would make it as of right so that mean us you don't need to go through red tape or
planning process to build four-storey complexes and walk up apartments so we can
significantly expand housing supply within existing urban boundaries this is a
recommendation that came out of the government's affordability task force.
And I knew when the government introduced bill 23, which is the bill that would open the
greenbelt for development.
I knew as an opposition member, if I was going to criticize the government for that I need to
come up with other solutions that were grounded in evidence and fact and recommendations by
experts.
And that's what I've done both with bill 44 and Bill 45.
>> Steve: Now, this bill presumably doesn't get the province the -- give the
province the power to do these things but does it have the ability to tell municipalities
you have to allow this?
Is that the idea here?
>> Mike: Absolutely.
It really comes from examples coming out of California where a lot of municipalities were
zoning this ways that would make it very difficult to do things like have four-plexes.
So the City of California came in and said -- the state of California came in and said
we're going to exclude people from living in this neighbourhood and make it easier
and quicker for builders and particularly homeowners to do things like four-plexes so we
can rapidly increase supply.
Affordable supply within existing communities which makes life more affordable for
municipalities and for individuals and families.
And so this is basically the province saying, you know what, municipalities?
You can't stop people from doing this.
But it doesn't require people to do it.
>> Steve: Understood.
That's bill 44.
45 would authorize mid-rise housing developments ranging from 6 to 11 storeys on major
streets, including along transit corridors.
What do you think that would beget if that were to come into law?
>> Mike: Basically this would allow for multi-residential buildings six to 11-storeys
along major roads and transit corridors.
The government has proposed doing it around transit stops but if you talk to most housing
experts, if you want to rapidly ramp up supply and especially supply of affordable rental
housing we need to make sure we have that supply all along those major routes which, again, is a
more efficient, cost-effective and affordable way to address the housing crisis versus the
sprawl agenda when I you see with the government's plans to open up the greenbelt.
>> Steve: I don't deny that's true.
What I wonder -- Danforth is a transit corridor in the City of Toronto.
>> Mike: That's right.
>> Steve: And there are lots of little bungalows along way.
Are you talking about 6 to 11-storey buildings along that transit corridor in
neighbourhoods with bungalows?
>> Mike: Yes.
If you I this of the Danforth or -- if you think of the Danforth or any major street in
Toronto, college or St. Clair is another one where you have a lot of shops that are two, maybe
three storeys.
So why not have commercial on the first floor.
Maybe the second floor.
And then have 6 to 11 storeys and the municipality could determine how many stories that
would be.
So we would both combine residential and commercial, make more efficient use of transit.
And that's how you can build more affordable cities.
>> Steve: You say why not and the answer is because the residents who currently live
there don't want it.
That's why not.
What do you do about that?
>> Mike: This is part of what I call a yes in my backyard campaign.
Here's the reality, Steve.
We have to build more homes in an affordable I with a.
We don't want to force people and families into long, expensive commutes which is bad
for the pocketbook and bad for the climate.
So why note build communities that are liveable and vibrant that have people living in them.
And one of the ways we can do it in a way that's affordable for builders to quickly ramp up
supply is to remove these barriers that prevent us from using land more efficiently in
our communities.
>> Steve: Let's understand where these bills are in the pipeline right now.
You've introduced them.
They've had first reading.
What's the status right now?
>> Mike: My second reading ballot date will be later this year.
I will be bringing one of those bills forward for debate in the legislature.
And my hope is that it passes.
And here's why I think it has a good chance of passing.
Both of these bills come out of recommendations from the housing affordability task force that
was hand picked by the government.
>> Steve: Yup.
>> Mike: Every political party: Greens, Liberals, NDP and conservatives in the last
election said we need to end exclusionary zoning so we can rapidly build more housing
supply.
That's exactly what I've proposed.
And I'm hoping that I will get all-party support at second reading and we can push these
bills through committee and have them passed into law.
>> Steve: We will continue to watch with interest.
Mike Schreiner, leader of the greens.
As always, thanks for coming into TVO tonight.
>> Mike: My pleasure, Steve.