York Region urges province to boost funds for housing, homelessness, infrastructure

Newmarkettoday.ca
Feb. 5, 2024

The Regional Municipality of York is demanding more support from the province to address housing, homelessness and infrastructure.

The region submitted requests to the Ontario government for the recently ended provincial budget consultation process. Requests were broken into five categories meant to address areas where the region has said funding is inadequate.

York Region chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson said the region works closely with all levels of government toward shared priorities like affordable housing.

“By participating in the annual provincial budget consultation, we can help to further articulate and advocate for the needs of our growing and diverse communities,” Emmerson said in a news release.

The province wrapped up its budget submission process Jan. 31, with the annual budget generally released in March or April.

The region highlighted five areas asking for funding support. These include the financial impacts of Bill 23 reducing development charges, the infrastructure needed to build housing, community housing, transit priorities and human and health service needs to address homelessness and the influx of asylum seekers.

The region and other municipalities continue to highlight the ramifications of provincial Bill 23, which reduced what developers pay to municipalities to fund infrastructure. The region estimates collections will be reduced by $700 million over 10 years. The province has promised $1.2 billion over three years to address that funding gap across all municipalities, but the region is ineligible as an upper-tier municipality.

The region estimates that the loss of those charges could amount to a 3.7 per cent tax rate increase in 2024 for the regional portion of property taxes.

“York Region, like many other municipalities, is contending with an increasing population without the funds to pay for required infrastructure,” regional finance and administration chair and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini said. “Our goal remains to deliver fiscally sustainable services.”

York Region is also backing a resolution from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for a social and economic prosperity review by the province. The region said that while many programs are partially funded, municipalities continue to spend more than they receive in areas of provincial responsibility like social housing, long-term care, social services and child care.