Ford Government Faces Criticism Amid Ontario Housing Crisis
The crisp autumn air carried more than just falling leaves in Queen’s Park last week. It brought heated exchanges as Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles delivered a blistering critique of Premier Doug Ford’s housing strategy, claiming his government has “completely given up” on its commitment to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.
Standing before reporters with housing advocates by her side, Stiles painted a stark picture of Ontario’s housing landscape. “While families are drowning in housing costs, this government is abandoning its promises,” she said, pointing to recent data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation showing new housing starts in Ontario have actually declined 15% since last year.
The confrontation highlights the growing tension around what many residents consider the province’s most pressing crisis. As I spoke with Torontonians braving the cold at a weekend farmers’ market, the frustration was palpable.
“We’ve done everything right – good jobs, savings, reasonable expectations – but the goalposts keep moving,” said Michael Torres, 34, an IT professional who’s been house-hunting with his partner for three years. “We’re looking further and further from the city, and the prices still don’t make sense.”
The Ford government’s ambitious housing target, announced with considerable fanfare in 2022, was meant to address the supply shortage experts have long identified as the root of Ontario’s affordability problem. But halfway through Ford’s second term, the implementation has faltered.
Housing Minister Paul Calandra defended the government’s record, citing their Housing Supply Action Plan and streamlined approval processes. “We’ve laid the groundwork for a building boom,” Calandra told reporters Tuesday. “The private sector needs time to respond to our regulatory changes.”
Yet the numbers tell a different story. Building permits issued across major Ontario municipalities have decreased by 12% year-over-year, according to Municipal Affairs reports. Meanwhile, the average home price in the Greater Toronto Area has climbed to $1.2 million – up 8.5% since the housing plan was announced.
The crisis extends beyond Toronto. In Ottawa’s suburban communities, once considered affordable alternatives, prices have jumped nearly 25% in three years. Kingston, London, and Waterloo Region face similar pressures, with rental vacancy rates hovering below 2%.
The situation has sparked unusual alliances. The Ontario Home Builders Association, typically aligned with Conservative policies, has begun voicing concerns about implementation gaps. “The intentions were promising, but we’re missing critical coordination between provincial directives and municipal capacity,” said Jordan Williams, the association’s director of policy, during a recent industry panel.
For communities most affected by the housing crunch, the debate transcends politics. In Kitchener, where rental costs have risen 31% since 2019, community organizer Samantha Chen has seen the human cost firsthand.
“We’re talking about young professionals living in basement apartments well into their thirties, families doubling up in small rentals, and seniors being priced out of neighborhoods they’ve lived in for decades,” Chen explained as we toured a community housing project struggling with a 700-person waitlist.
The Ford government’s housing strategy rests on three pillars: cutting municipal red tape, incentivizing development, and downloading responsibility to local governments. Critics argue this approach has created a patchwork system where progress depends heavily on individual municipalities’ resources and political will.
Urban planners point to contradictions in the province’s approach. “They’ve mandated housing targets but simultaneously cut funding for infrastructure that would support that growth,” noted Dr. Eleanor Santos, professor of urban studies at York University. “Municipalities are expected to accommodate thousands of new homes without proportional investment in transit, schools, or water systems.”
The government’s own Housing Affordability Task Force identified these infrastructure gaps last year, recommending $4.2 billion in dedicated funding – a recommendation that remains unimplemented.
The debate intensified when recent campaign finance records showed significant donations to Progressive Conservative coffers from development companies that have benefited from controversial Minister’s Zoning Orders – a tool that allows the province to override local planning decisions.
When pressed on these connections during Question Period, Ford dismissed concerns as “playing politics with housing” and reiterated his commitment to “cutting through red tape that prevents shovels in the ground.”
For everyday Ontarians, the political theater offers little comfort. In Brampton, I met healthcare worker Priya Sharma during her lunch break at a hospital cafeteria. After seven years renting and saving diligently, she’s watching her dream of homeownership slip further away.
“My parents came to Canada with nothing and bought a home working factory jobs,” she said. “I have a professional career and can barely afford a one-bedroom condo. Something’s broken in the system.”
As winter approaches, bringing another seasonal slowdown in construction, the province faces a critical juncture. The Ford government has two years remaining in its mandate to demonstrate progress on its housing promises before facing voters again.
Housing advocates are calling for a reset – a comprehensive approach that addresses not just regulatory barriers but also labor shortages in construction, materials costs, and the need for purpose-built affordable housing.
“We don’t need more announcements or targets,” said Alex Richter of Housing Action Now. “We need homes actually being built that people can afford. The longer we wait, the more Ontario families will be priced out of the communities they call home.”
As Queen’s Park settles into another session of debate, the clock ticks for thousands of Ontarians whose lives remain in housing limbo. For them, the crisis isn’t measured in political points scored but in delayed lives, cramped quarters, and financial strain that colors every aspect of their future.
