My constituents in Niagara Centre need affordable places to live right now. I’ve been telling this government that repeatedly since 2018. The affordable housing crisis has been getting worse and worse over this government’s term and they have done nothing to address it. Wait-lists in Niagara are out of control, and with rising costs, folks are becoming more and more desperate.

My office heard from Barry Smith, who lives in Welland with his wife and five-year-old daughter. Barry is on disability. His wife worked but didn’t qualify for CERB. They were suddenly faced with a single ODSP income. His wife was then diagnosed with a rare lung disorder and is now also disabled. She’s applied for ODSP, but because of health care backlogs, she is stuck waiting for a doctor’s report.

They’ve lived in their home in Welland for 10 years, never late on rent and never any problems. Now, they have to move because the landlord says they are renovating and moving in. Their rent was $1,000 a month. They’ve looked and looked and have been turned down by property management companies over and over. One such place was a basement apartment renting for $1,600 a month. The requirements to apply are a credit score of 700 or more, and you need to be working. It doesn’t matter that they are excellent tenants and wonderful people; it’s all about the numbers—a dehumanized process.

I want to once again urge this government to listen to the stories of Barry; of Steve, whom I spoke about back in April; and of Christine and Dave Hunt, whose story I told in November, and act swiftly to ensure people have affordable, safe places to live. The government has an obligation to all Ontarians, regardless of their background, to ensure they can keep a roof over their head, because housing is a human right.