Housing Solutions Need More Than a Good Idea

Midland needs more housing. On that, I think we can all agree.

I also agree that municipalities should be catalysts for solutions. The question isn’t whether we should help. The question is how we can help in a way that actually gets homes built.

Before creating another municipal corporation dedicated to housing, taxpayers deserve answers to some basic questions:

What would it accomplish, who would pay for it, and how many homes would it actually build?

Creating a Corporation Doesn’t Create Funding

A corporation still requires administration, governance, expertise and, most importantly, capital.

As a lower-tier municipality, Midland has limited financial resources and borrowing capacity. Creating another organization doesn’t suddenly create the millions of dollars required to build affordable housing.

We need to be clear about where that money would come from and who would ultimately carry the financial risk.

We Are Already Doing the Work

Council has spent this term working with multiple organizations and potential housing partners. We have offered municipal land and explored opportunities to help projects move forward.

Not every proposal has come to fruition. Others remain in the pipeline. That’s the reality of housing development. Having land and a willing municipality are important pieces, but they don’t automatically solve financing, construction costs, operating models or access to funding.

We also work within the broader Simcoe County housing and homelessness system, including SCATEH, the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness, Habitat For Humanity, Redwood Park Communities, ShelterNow etc.

As a lower-tier municipality, Midland should be an active partner, but we also need to be careful about creating new structures that duplicate work already happening and funded at the County and Provincial level. In short, we stay in our lane and don’t duplicate services not in our jurisdiction as a lower tier municipality. This isn’t a choice, it’s how the responsibilities are divided in the province of Ontario.

Removing Barriers Doesn’t Mean Ignoring the Rules

We have worked hard throughout this term to remove unnecessary municipal barriers for anyone who is ready to put a shovel in the ground.

We can improve processes. We can make decisions efficiently. We can work collaboratively with applicants.

But we cannot circumvent Ontario’s planning laws or simply waive requirements that the municipality is legally obligated to follow.

Sometimes there is a perception that Council can simply say yes and construction can begin. Municipal government doesn’t work that way.

Municipal Land Can Help, But It’s Not That Simple

Municipally owned land can certainly be part of the solution.

Long-term leases are sometimes proposed because they allow the municipality to retain ownership of the land. However, leased land can also make financing more challenging for individuals and organizations that need lenders to finance construction.

Giving municipal land away isn’t automatically the answer either. That land is an asset belonging to Midland taxpayers.

The question should always be:

What approach gives a project the best chance of actually being built while protecting the public interest?

Bring Us the Business Case

I’m open to innovative ideas, including creating a corporation dedicated to housing.

But first, bring Council the business case.

What gap would it fill? What would it cost? Who would fund it? Would it duplicate organizations or partnerships already doing this work? Who assumes the financial risk?

And above all:

How many additional homes will it actually get built?

Midland should continue doing what we can: bringing partners together, making municipal land available where appropriate, removing unnecessary barriers, pursuing funding and advocating to the governments with the resources necessary to make these projects happen.

Being a catalyst doesn’t mean Midland taxpayers must become the developer, landlord, lender and funder.

We don’t need to measure progress by how many new organizations we create. We need to measure it by how many homes get built.