The Housing Crisis is Getting Worse – And No One is Fixing It
If you’re a first-time homebuyer in Oakville or Halton, you already know the truth—owning a home is no longer a dream, it’s an impossibility. Housing prices have skyrocketed, rents are unaffordable, and homelessness is rising across the region. Meanwhile, the PC government is doubling down on policies that help developers, not families.
The housing crisis isn’t new, but it’s never been this bad. For years, Ontario has been failing to build homes that people can actually afford, and now, thanks to bad government policies, Oakville and Halton are among the most expensive places to live in the country.
So how did we get here? And why are PCs making it even worse?
The Background: Decades of Government Failure on Housing
The Ontario Liberals: The Era of Speculation and Missed Opportunities
From 2003 to 2018, the Ontario Liberals ignored rising home prices while allowing foreign investors and large-scale speculators to dominate the housing market. Under their leadership:
- Housing prices nearly doubled between 2010 and 2018, yet they failed to introduce real protections against speculation.
- Their failure to build affordable housing meant that demand far outpaced supply, leading to the skyrocketing home prices we see today.
- They talked about transit-oriented development but failed to deliver, slowing down home construction while approving urban sprawl projects that benefited developers.
The Progressive Conservatives: The Giveaway to Developers and Corporate Landlords
When the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 2018, he didn’t fix the housing crisis—he made it worse. Instead of building affordable homes, his government:
- Cut protections for renters, allowing landlords to impose unfair rent hikes and renovictions.
- Slashed development charges, meaning taxpayers now foot the bill for roads, sewers, and infrastructure that should be paid by developers.
- Paved over local planning power, forcing municipalities to approve luxury high-rises without requiring developers to include affordable housing.
- Removed rent control on new units, allowing landlords to price gouge tenants while providing no support for renters.
The NDP: No Plan, No Results
The NDP talks a big game on affordability, but when it comes to real solutions, they fall short. As Ontario’s Official Opposition, they:
- Failed to meaningfully oppose Ford’s attacks on tenant protections, offering no legislative plan to reverse the damage.
- Have no clear policy for tackling housing speculation, allowing investors to keep pushing prices out of reach.
- Offer vague affordability commitments, with no details on how they would actually build homes that working families can afford.
The Current Problem: Halton’s Housing is Now Out of Reach
Today, the average home price in Oakville is well over $1.5 million, and rental rates have skyrocketed by over 20% in just two years. What does this mean for our community?
- Young families can’t afford to live here, forcing them to move elsewhere.
- Renters face constant eviction threats, as landlords hike up prices to maximize profits.
- Homelessness is rising, with encampments now forming in Burlington, Oakville, and Halton Hills
Despite these realities, the Ontario government is doing nothing to fix the crisis. Instead of building affordable homes, they are allowing the market to be controlled by investors and developers who have no interest in making housing accessible.
The Green Party’s Plan to Fix Housing in Ontario
Unlike the other parties, the Green Party has a clear and actionable plan to fix housing affordability and homelessness in Ontario. We will:
- Build 2 Million Homes in the Next 10 Years – Ontario needs more housing, but it needs to be the right kind of housing—not just luxury condos that only benefit developers and investors.
- Build 250,000 Non-Profit & Co-op Housing Units – Ensure homes are built by and for the community, not just for-profit developers.
- Crack Down on Speculation – Introduce a multiple-property speculation tax and a vacancy tax to stop investors from driving up home prices.
- Reinstate Full Rent Control – Reverse PC’s loophole that allows unlimited rent hikes on new units.
- Require Developers to Build Affordable Housing – Mandate that a percentage of all new developments include affordable housing units.
- Fund Permanent Supportive Housing – Build 60,000 supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness, with access to mental health and addiction services.
- Legalize “Missing Middle” Housing – Ensure that Oakville and Halton can build more duplexes, triplexes, and mid-rise buildings instead of just luxury condos.
The Green Party will fix Ontario’s housing crisis by building a diverse mix of rental units, co-ops, mid-rise buildings, and sustainable communities. Our strategy includes fast-tracking approvals for missing-middle housing, legalizing fourplexes and sixplexes in urban areas, and utilizing government-owned land to expand supply without resorting to reckless sprawl. This is the future of housing—designed for people, not profit.
Why the Strategic Vote is Green: The Other Parties Have Failed Ontario’s Housing Crisis
🔵 The PCs Are the Root of the Problem. The current provincial government has turned housing into a playground for speculators and developers, stripping away renter protections and forcing municipalities to approve extreme-density projects without ensuring infrastructure is in place. They eliminated rent controls on new units, allowing landlords to impose unlimited rent hikes while refusing to take action against unfair renovictions. Instead of making developers pay for roads, transit, and public services, Ford cut development charges, leaving municipalities and taxpayers to foot the bill. His government prioritized luxury condo developments over affordable housing, making it easier for investors to buy up homes while working families struggle to afford rent. Under Ford, housing is no longer about homes for people—it’s about profit for the wealthy.
🔴 The Ontario Liberals Ignored the Crisis. For 15 years in power (2003-2018), the Ontario Liberals failed to address rising housing costs, allowing speculation and unchecked investment to take over the market. They refused to implement real protections against foreign buyers and multi-property investors, making it easier for wealthy speculators to drive up prices. Their slow, bureaucratic approach to planning led to long delays in home construction, meaning housing supply never kept up with demand. Even as affordability plummeted, the Liberals failed to make meaningful investments in co-op and non-profit housing, leaving Ontario’s most vulnerable without stable housing options. When they left office, they handed the Progressive Conservatives a broken system that he has only made worse.
🟠 The NDP Talks About Affordability But Has No Plan. The NDP claims to be the party of renters and affordable housing, but when it comes to actual solutions, they offer vague promises with no real strategy. Despite being Ontario’s Official Opposition, they failed to effectively challenge Ford’s destruction of rent controls and tenant protections. They haven’t proposed a serious plan to tackle housing speculation, meaning investors and corporate landlords will continue to dominate the market. While they talk about increasing housing supply, they lack a clear policy on balancing growth with infrastructure investment, leaving cities to struggle with poorly planned developments. The NDP speaks about change, but they lack the leadership and bold action needed to actually fix Ontario’s housing crisis.
✅ The Green Party is the ONLY real choice to fix Ontario’s housing crisis. Unlike the PCs, Liberals, and NDP, we aren’t funded by developers and real estate speculators. We are the only party that will take real action to build affordable housing, protect renters, and end homelessness.
This election, don’t vote for more broken promises—vote for the only party with a real housing plan. Vote Green.