More Promises From Dalton McGinty

1. Where do the cities, particularly Toronto, get the funding for their share?
2. Will the City of Toronto's penchant for running to the OMB enccourage developers to build affordable housing?
3. Will Toronto city councilors sign a pledge that affordable housing can be built in THEIR backyard.
4. How many affordable housing units will be built and occuppied before the provincial election?

City gets housing boost
McGuinty frees $392M caught in feud with Ottawa to build affordable homes
February 28, 2007
Robert Benzie
Queen's Park Bureau Chief

Toronto will get new affordable housing after Premier Dalton McGuinty finally freed up $392 million ensnared in a fiscal feud with Ottawa.

McGuinty delivered the news to more than 500 business leaders, politicians, urban thinkers, artists and community activists who had gathered for the final day of the Toronto Summit 2007, a two-day conference to discuss ways to improve the city.

A visibly delighted Mayor David Miller, who was in the audience, said it's not yet known how much of the province-wide funding would go to Toronto or how many units would be built.

But with 67,000 families on the waiting list for an affordable home – across the province 122,000 households are waiting – Toronto is expected to get a lion's share of the $392 million.

The need for more affordable housing was one of the issues touched on by participants. Minutes after McGuinty's speech, summit organizer David Pecaut also highlighted the need for road-user fees such as tolls and a congestion tax.

"There is a tremendous willingness to consider what we need to do to raise additional revenues" for the GTA, Pecaut said at the wrap-up session.

McGuinty's announcement capped a conference called to look at developing an action plan for Toronto.

I think I have heard that song before.......