Unlike Chiarelli, incumbent Toronto mayor John Tory is almost certain to be re-elected. That gives him the freedom to say just about anything he wants. Yet at a Monday afternoon debate at the Board of Trade, he was still trotting out mildewy housing-related talking points like it was 2003.
He wasn’t suggesting I should be able to live in the semi-detached I grew up in, because that would be insane: It’s so far out of reach it might as well be a Manhattan penthouse. Rather, he was supporting densifying single-family-home neighbourhoods like the one I grew up in: Duplexes and triplexes on residential streets, and midrise as-of right on main thoroughfares and transit corridors.
Hoarier still was Tory’s appeal to the plight of seniors. “We have to keep their taxes reasonable so they can stay in their homes financially,” he said, justifying his pledge to keep property tax increases low. Again one imagines the chorus of tiny violins and weaponized pastries. It was also remarkable at Monday’s debate to hear Tory boast of his record on housing over the last eight years — not because it’s terrible, but because it’s so very far from getting the job done.
2 shelters closed this year, 3rd closes by December 31. Issuing money to refugees to pay for hotel rooms. Swansea is major THC catastrophe. Wait list for TCH is 12 years long. They want high priced homes and condos for the tax income. City is in debt.
For perspective I bought my house in TO centre in 2003. It was the cheapest house on MLS for the entire city. To buy it now you’ll need $400k in cash and then pay $10k per month in mortgage payment.
He is part of the blame. He could of slow it down instead of pumping it.