Pellerin: Two cheers for reasonably priced housing enhancements in Ottawa

Article content material

A new report by the Ontario Dwelling Wage Community says it is advisable to earn $21.95 an hour to afford dwelling in Ottawa, a 12-per-cent leap over final yr. Apparently that is the most important year-over-year improve within the province. We win one thing, yay us!

However severely.

Article content material

Ottawa’s dwelling wage threshold is the third-highest within the province after Toronto ($25.05) and Gray Bruce Perth Huron Simcoe ($22.75). So Ontario’s precise minimal wage, at $16.55, isn’t sufficient to pay your fundamental payments and nonetheless have the flexibility to “get pleasure from modest participation in civic and cultural life.” I suppose meaning one thing barely nicer than a price meal once in a while.

Article content material

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Company says the common lease for a two-bedroom house in Ottawa is $1,625 a month and I’ve each a query and a press release: 1) The place on this city are you able to get a semi-decent two-bedroom for that worth? and a pair of) Higher not have too many children, eh?

It’s simple to despair, particularly if you happen to’re a teen struggling to seek out first rate employment and having to delay shopping for a home and having youngsters since you simply can’t work out find out how to make the maths work. Because the proud proprietor of three youngsters, I assure you I really feel your ache. And I’m a Gen-Xer who’s additionally an artist. Not fairly figuring out how I’ll have the ability to afford what I need is second nature at this level.

However we chug alongside and proceed to push for the sort of social change that might guarantee massive choices are taken with the curiosity of younger individuals in thoughts. It will assist lots if younger individuals voted greater than they usually do, by the best way. Nothing fairly like a fats juicy bundle of dependable votes to make politicians take note of your issues.

Within the meantime, we’ve to make do with crumbs of excellent information. Specifically, the announcement by the federal authorities that it could construct over 2,800 housing models on its surplus properties throughout Canada. Of these, about 1,600 shall be in Ottawa and can embody a bit over 200 reasonably priced models.

Article content material

As many specialists have famous earlier than me, these numbers are means too small (and greater than a bit late) to handle the housing disaster correctly. However they’re one thing.

One other measure that has helped is the tightening of rules associated to short-term leases corresponding to Airbnb within the metropolis. The 2022 bylaw solely permits individuals to record their principal residence (rural residences and cottages are additionally allowed however require a separate allow) and house owners must fill out paperwork and pay charges that, whereas not financially crippling, are noticeable.

In line with a report ready by director of bylaw and regulatory companies Roger Chapman, “the allowing regime has been functioning as meant” with compliance within the 70-to-85 per cent vary. What this implies is that the variety of listed properties decreased considerably within the first yr, as did complaints for noise and different kinds of nuisance. Like gunshots, say.

It’s no secret that when short-term leases aren’t regulated, they take away housing models from the long-term market as a result of funding property house owners stand to make much more renting out their models on platforms corresponding to Airbnb than they do discovering a long-term tenant. There’s something very improper in a society when a big group of individuals — together with individuals who work very exhausting for wages which might be barely excessive sufficient to cowl fundamental requirements — don’t have a spot they’ll name house as a result of buyers scoop up these models and use them for revenue.

Housing must be a proper, not an funding. And that must be true no matter earnings. We’ve got an extended option to go earlier than the housing disaster is correctly addressed, assuming we’ve the political will to get there. Nevertheless it’s additionally vital to acknowledge small steps in the appropriate course — and woot-woot accordingly.

Brigitte Pellerin (they/them) is an Ottawa author.

Article content material