Yesterday, I was pleased to announce that our government is introducing legislation that is intended to give the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa the ability to move forward provincial priorities, select municipal department heads and deliver budgets.

We know that municipal governments play a crucial role in determining housing supply. And the reality is that over one third of Ontario’s growth in the next 10 years will come in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa.

Too many families today are struggling with housing and the rising cost of living. We need to empower our local leaders with the tools that they need to get it done. We are also counting on them to cut red tape, to build housing faster so that more Ontarians can realize the dream of attainable home ownership.

Thank you for the question.

Speaker, through you to the honourable member: We’re supporting municipalities in many, many ways. Unconditionally, we have a program called the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund that supports our municipalities. In terms of a conditional grant, obviously, the provincial gas tax program.

The member opposite mentions infrastructure. The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund—the province is doubling its annual investment to nearly $2 billion over five years, and then there are other cost-sharing programs that the member is aware of. We support municipalities in many, many ways: land ambulances, public health, child care. There are a lot of supports that our government has given and continues to give our municipal partners.

During the pandemic, we made a significant contribution. We continue to. My Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing—this morning in question period, there was a reference to the Social Services Relief Fund. I’ve travelled all around the province. I’ve travelled in your city with the Minister of Tourism, and saw our investments and saw how municipalities were able to make our investments work in their communities to help fight homelessness.

But make no mistake, Speaker: Municipalities also have tools. They have a range of opportunities through revenue tools that they have, through development charges—many, many other opportunities for them.

So we know that there’s no silver bullet that is going to solve the housing supply crisis. We know that there have to be a number of measures done both by legislation and by regulation. We need support from our municipal partners, and we also need support from our federal colleagues. I know the members opposite have heard me talk about our desire to have them support us when we go to the federal government for additional funds; I think we have a really good case to make.

We’re very aware that our Housing Supply Action Plan transcends all of the types of housing. I’ve been very clear in this House and outside of this House: When we talk about the 1.5 million homes that we need to build in the next 10 years, it means every type, every shape, every size and every price range, including a strong increase in rental accommodation. That’s what Ontarians need; that’s what they deserve: a house, whatever form it takes, either rental or home ownership or attainable ownership, that meets their price and their budget.