Letter to DSBs - Ontario Strengthening Protections for Tenants - March 12, 2020

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Office of the Minister
777 Bay Street, 17th Floor
Toronto ON M7A 2J3

March 12, 2020
 

Dear Heads of Council and Chairs of District Social Services Administration Boards:

Ontario’s shortage of market housing, combined with high housing costs, have made it too hard for too many Ontarians to rent or buy a home. Earlier today, our government introduced, the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, which supports the government’s plan to make life more affordable for Ontarians.

The Bill proposes amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, Housing Services Act, 2011, Building Code Act, 1992 and proposes the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation Repeal Act, 2020.

The proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, the Housing Services Act, 2011 and Building Code Act, 1992 are part of the following:

  • More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan to make it faster and easier to build housing, including rental housing, and to build the right types of homes in the right places;
  • Community Housing Renewal Strategy – a multi-year strategy to stabilize and grow Ontario’s community housing sector; and
  • Transforming the Delivery of Building Code Services by enabling the creation of a future administrative authority that would deliver faster, better and smarter services to support the safe construction of buildings, while continuing to protect public health and safety.

The Bill also proposes to dissolve the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation, through the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation Repeal Act which would shift the financial responsibilities for various legacy housing programs from an agency to the ministry. The proposed change would have no impact on programs or the public, as the agency’s work is already performed by ministry staff.

More details on our proposed amendments can be found online here. As well, a copy of the Bill should be available on the Ontario Legislature website within 24 hours.