For Immediate Release
March 20, 2017
Mississauga Moves Forward with Bold Housing Strategy: Mayor Crombie
This is a made in Mississauga plan that provides bold, innovative and practical strategies to give people more options for affordable, stable and safe housing here in Mississauga, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today during a meeting of the City’s Planning and Development Committee, where Councillors voted to move forward with the Making Room for the Middle: A Housing Strategy for Mississauga.
The Strategy focuses on middle income households with annual incomes between $55,000 and $100,000, Mayor Crombie said, adding that “all options must be on the table to ensure people who want to live, and build a better life for their families in Mississauga, are able to do so.”
“This transformational Strategy is a call to action,” Mayor Crombie added. “We have put forward 40 action items that call on all governments, our partners in the private-sector, non-profits, cooperatives and individuals, to be part of the solution.”
“Council is ready to do its part,” Mayor Crombie said. “This Strategy is part of our bigger and ongoing efforts to build a complete city – a place where people can raise a family, earn an education, find a well-paying job and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life.”
Several of the recommendations emphasize the importance of making full use of the tools the City has at its disposal. Of note, proposed action items include:
- Establish a Property Tax Deferral Program in partnerships with the Region for the production of new housing affordable to the middle income households
- Explore with the Region of Peel the implementation of a Regional tax levy to support middle income households
- Implement a “housing first” policy for surplus City lands
- Review and simplify processes and regulations for legal second units
- Build an affordable housing reserve fund using Section 37 and other municipal revenues to finance affordable housing and purpose-built rental housing incentives
The Strategy also calls on the provincial government to expand municipal revenue tools, Mayor Crombie said, adding that “we have repeatedly said municipalities and the Province need to have an honest debate about how to fund urgent city-building priorities with revenue tools that ensure permanent, dedicated and long-term funding.”
“Setting aside 1 per cent of the HST or the income tax for cities is worth considering.”
Mayor Crombie concluded “People cannot pursue the opportunities that each new day brings here in Mississauga, if they do not have a safe place to lay their heads at night. Complete cities move, service and house people.
“This Strategy puts Mississauga on the path to getting housing affordability right.”
-30-