[zang]

I'm not sure what the point of doing this is. It reduces rents for current tenants but doesn't increase housing stock in total which is what is really needed to bring rent and purchase prices down. \

Throwing more units onto the market as it is just invites more speculators, small landlords and AirBnB micro-hoteliers. The incentives for profit and speculation need to get quashed first. Reducing prices for some units will ultimately reduce prices for others in the area, helping make both purchases and rentals more affordable.

This is a much better idea. And I've heard several housing advocates push for a public development agency whose job it would be to basically do all the work necessary to accelerate and/or build in the public interest either by assembling land, upzoning or providing loan guarantees or taking equity stakes in development.

I agree; we need more investment into properly sustainable public housing. But we also need to follow examples like those in Finland who for a long time have pushed that 25% of all new housing must be affordable, or Sweden where half of all rental units are publicly owned—meaning the government leads the market, and isn't just forced to exist solely for those who can't afford what the private market decides rent should be.

 

[Northern Light]

The Greenbelt 'scandal' keeps on giving.............

This time in a bit of a weird way...........developers and pols/their aides getting concurrent massages in Vegas................ ok then....

Minister, Premier's aide got massages with Ontario Greenbelt developer in Vegas: hotel employees

Three Wynn Las Vegas hotel employees tell CTV News their records contradict the story an Ontario minister gave the Integrity Commissioner about a chance meeting in a hotel lobby with a developer whose land was removed from the Greenbelt — claiming the pair and a former aide to Premier Doug Ford...

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[wopchop]

The Greenbelt 'scandal' keeps on giving.............

This time in a bit of a weird way...........developers and pols/their aides getting concurrent massages in Vegas................ ok then....

Minister, Premier's aide got massages with Ontario Greenbelt developer in Vegas: hotel employees

Three Wynn Las Vegas hotel employees tell CTV News their records contradict the story an Ontario minister gave the Integrity Commissioner about a chance meeting in a hotel lobby with a developer whose land was removed from the Greenbelt — claiming the pair and a former aide to Premier Doug Ford...

toronto.ctvnews.ca

What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

What happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.

Sounds a little like good old MFP scandal - and those who believe it's all just a rogue staffer and an incompetent Steve Clark are fools.

AoD

 

[Northern Light]

And Vegas Minister is gone, just like that:

Second Doug Ford cabinet minister resigns over Greenbelt controversy

Another Ford cabinet minister has resigned — and is quitting the Progressive Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent MPP — over the growing $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal.

www.thestar.com

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

And Vegas Minister is gone, just like that:

Second Doug Ford cabinet minister resigns over Greenbelt controversy

Another Ford cabinet minister has resigned — and is quitting the Progressive Conservative caucus to sit as an Independent MPP — over the growing $8.28-billion Greenbelt land swap scandal.

www.thestar.com

I wonder how many body parts can this government excise from itself.

AoD

 

[Admiral Beez]

Surely now the RCMP should begin a formal investigation?

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

He "caved", perhaps Bibi style:

'It was a mistake:' Ford reversing government's decision to open Greenbelt

Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to developers.

www.cp24.com

Though really, is it a "mistake", or is it that you get caught? This government is as soiled as a used diaper.

AoD

 

[christiesplits]

He "caved", perhaps Bibi style:

'It was a mistake:' Ford reversing government's decision to open Greenbelt

Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to developers.

www.cp24.com

Though really, is it a "mistake", or is it that you get caught? This government is as soiled as a used diaper.

AoD

Wow, was not expecting that.

Is this a way to get ahead of more scandalous details?

 

[Richard White]

Wow, was not expecting that.

Is this a way to get ahead of more scandalous details?

He probably saw his Ministers getting taken out one by one because of this and wanted to nip it in the bud.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Wow, was not expecting that.

Is this a way to get ahead of more scandalous details?

Though I am not sure how trustworthy he is - considering he already said he is not opening the greenbelt once and ditched it once he got his second majority. Besides, fundamentally his buddies will still be looking for a payout.

AoD

 

[Northern Light]

He "caved", perhaps Bibi style:

'It was a mistake:' Ford reversing government's decision to open Greenbelt

Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to developers.

www.cp24.com

Though really, is it a "mistake", or is it that you get caught? This government is as soiled as a used diaper.

AoD

Good!

One small step, and all that.

But to be clear, this, at best, puts things back to where they were.

Follow-up is required:

1) Absolutely no compensation to the affected developers for the downzoning; the De Gasperis tract can be sold to the Feds to add to Rouge Park, but the should only be paid what the fair market value is/was while at the lower zoning, in the Greenbelt.

2) The Greenbelt needs to grow. The Paris and Galt Moraines should be added in their entirety, in addition to a good chunk of Dufferin County.

****

Ford gets zero points for saving us all from himself. Still, beats having him follow through.

 

[Sunnyside]

He "caved", perhaps Bibi style:

'It was a mistake:' Ford reversing government's decision to open Greenbelt

Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to developers.

www.cp24.com

Though really, is it a "mistake", or is it that you get caught? This government is as soiled as a used diaper.

AoD

Glad to hear it. Despite my dabble in devils’ advocacy, this is unmistakably the right path forward. Regardless of if Ford ever admits it was corrupt or not, the public was never going to let this go, and crucially, he realized that. They have reversed what must have been a very lucrative position. In politics such humility is no guarantee.

 

[smably]

On the bright side, hopefully this means that carving land out of the Greenbelt will be even more politically radioactive than it already was. Perhaps future governments who are tempted to mess with it will look back on this scandal and retreat to safer territory.

 

[vic]

If they were sincere about "creating housing", and went through a non-sketchy non-self-serving process to open up the greenbelt, I expect it would have happened. People would be pissed about the lost greenbelt land, but the scandal would not exist.

But since this was all about greed, well, here we are.... I hope investigations continue to reveal and cut out the rot.