1. Adequate and affordable housing is a fundamental right of every Canadian Citizen. Adequate housing is defined as clean, healthy, secure housing free from overcrowding and providing adequate shelter from the elements. Affordable housing is defined as housing not costing in excess of 30% of the occupants gross annual salary.
2. We oppose the provisions of Bill 96, which came into effect Jan. 1, 1998 because:
   • The generous guidelines of 4% annual rent increase does not reflect the reality of decreasing average annual incomes in Toronto.
   • Landlords may increase the rent on vacant apartments arbitrarily, thus families forced to move (for example for better job opportunities) will face ever increasing rents and an unstable rental market.
3. This legislation actually provides incentives for landlords to harass tenants to move because of the provision allowing rent increases on vacant apartments and conversion of rental units to condominiums. Elderly and single women are most vulnerable to this sort of harassment because safety and security in their homes are among their deepest concerns.
4. Under Bill 96 Landlords are allowed to refuse to rent an apartment to a tenant if the rent will exceed 30% of the prospective tenant’s income. According to a recent survey over 74% of unattached women pay over 30% of their income in rent. This provision of Bill 96 further restricts the choices of low income women to seek safe, comfortable housing for themselves.
5. In 1995 the present government stopped all construction on social housing. Since that time, the number of homeless has significantly increased, the number of people using Food Banks and other programs such as Out of The Cold has mushroomed and increased hardship for the elderly is evident.
6. Susan Cox, head of the network of Food Banks in Toronto, speaking at the March hearing sponsored by the Social housing Fight Back Coalition, stated that 80% of the people using Food Banks are employed. The reason they must use food banks to supplement their families’ diet is because housing accommodations take an excessive portion of their monthly income. THE PROBLEM IS NOT UNEMPLOYMENT, IT IS LOW WAGES AND INSUFFICIENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
7. Margaret Norquay, speaking on behalf of the Out of The Cold Program at Metropolitan United Church said that their program housed approximately 100 homeless people for an evening but it fed nearly 500. Most of the people who came to the church for a warm meal were not homeless but rather were people who had to spend nearly their entire welfare cheque on housing and would go hungry except for the free meals provided by the network of church programs.
8. Obviously the need for Social Housing, low cost housing and co-op housing will not be met by the corporate sector, nor will it disappear over time. We can foresee increasing numbers of homeless, both male and female, increased economic deprivation among the working poor and more children suffering from malnutrition and poverty related illnesses, as time goes on.
9. We urge the restructured municipal governments to begin immediately to pressure both senior governments to reinvest in affordable housing. They must not only devote some of their budget to low income housing but they must find innovative ways to solve the housing crisis in Toronto and other cities in Ontario.
10. International statistics record that less than 6% of the housing throughout the world is provided by For-Profit organizations. The remainder is provided by governments, and non-profit organizations. Canada must have a National Housing Policy which would establish acceptable housing standards throughout the nation and actively involve all levels of government.

Housing Committee, April 30, 1998
Revised March 1999

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