Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford says if municipalities want to build more fourplexes, that’s their decision.
“We’re going to build homes, single-dwelling homes, and townhomes. That’s what we’re going to focus on,” he told reporters at a press conference in Richmond Hill on Thursday.
The premier said creating legislation that would enshrine “as of right” residential housing of up to four units on a single residential lot would be a “massive mistake.”
It’s one of 74 recommendations made by the province’s housing task force to help address the housing supply issue in Ontario.
“I can assure you 1000% you get in the middle of communities and start putting up four-storey, six-storey, eight-storey buildings, right deep in the communities, there’s gonna be a lot of shouting and screaming,” Ford said.
“It’s off the table for us.”
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Instead, the premier focused on creating more dwellings that utilized modular housing building techniques. He says what costs the most in this province is land.
“They’re nice, they’re called starter homes. These are going to be modern homes. They aren’t going to be super fancy, but they’re going to be nice.”
It’s a growing trend in building configurations that’s already gaining momentum across cities across the Golden Horseshoe.
Bonny Crombie was quick to reply with a statement saying Ford isn’t serious about building housing.
“This is a NIMBY [Not In My Back Yard] government that only cares about looking out for their rich friends and well-connected insiders. Ontario’s Liberals will allow fourplexes to be built as-of-right province-wide” said Crombie.
The NDP says fourplexes could be useful in addressing the housing crisis. NDP Leader Marit Stiles says the message the Ford government is sending to Ontarians is: “if you can’t afford a single-family detached home you’re not welcome.”
READ MORE: St. Catharines modular homes project to open on Monday
On Monday night the St. Catharines city council unanimously approved a change to its zoning bylaws to allow up to four individual residential units within a home or property.
Mat Siscoe, St. Catharines mayor, says the decision goes a long way to allowing for greater density in their neighbourhoods.
In St. Catharines, portable buildings are being used that can be taken down and set up at other locations depending on the needs of the city to address the rising homeless population.
The federal government also recently gave a manufacturing company that makes modular homes in Hamilton received $2.5 million in funding.
Earlier Thursday, the province announced new money that would total $1.8 billion for housing across the province as a part of its efforts to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.
Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s finance minister said the 2024 budget will focus on building infrastructure and making life more affordable without raising taxes or fees.
The next provincial budget is set to drop on Tuesday.
