Investing and Improving Community Housing for Oxford’s Most Vulnerable Province Making Community Housing Safer, More Efficient and Sustainable

TORONTO – The government of Ontario is putting people first by investing more than $1 billion in 2019-20 to help maintain, repair and grow community housing around Ontario, including in Oxford. Combined, the 2019-2020 housing programs will dedicate over $2.67 million towards housing and renovation initiatives in Oxford. The government also revealed the province’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy, which will help the most vulnerable in our communities find affordable housing through a quicker and more efficient process.

“No family should have to live in buildings with crumbling walls, leaking roofs and broken elevators,” said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. “The provincial government will continue to work with non-profit organizations to address issues like safety, overcrowding and long wait lists that keep many families from having safe and comfortable housing.”

Ontario’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy includes important early steps to improve community housing across Ontario. The strategy will encourage tenants to seek opportunities at school, and work by removing existing penalties for working more hours or going to college or university and it will make rent more predictable by simplifying rent calculations. The strategy will also free up the waitlist by having tenants prioritize their first choice and accept the first unit they are offered, while allowing Service Managers flexibility to make exceptions in extenuating circumstances. Importantly, the strategy will protect tenants who receive child support payments by ensuring their rent is not impacted by payments and ensuring we have safer housing by empowering housing providers to turn away tenants who have been evicted for criminal activity.

“Ensuring that families in Oxford have access to affordable, safe and accessible housing is very important for our community,” said Hardeman. “The new Community Housing Renewal Strategy will provide many families the needed access to housing and help build our Oxford community for many years to come.”

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Media inquiries please contact:

Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford
(519) 537-5222