Housing Minister Defending Decision to Build on Greenbelt

Housing Minister Steve Clark says the Ford government's housing plans are aimed at dissolving the housing crisis

Ontario's Housing Minister is defending the Ford government's plans to develop more housing on parts of the Greenbelt. 

Steve Clark, who was in Vineland yesterday, says the move will help Ontario prepare for an expected population growth. 

"We're expected as a province to grow by about two million people by 2031, with about 1.5 million of them new residents to the Greater Golden Horseshoe."

The province has set a goal of building 1.5 million homes over the next decade. 

In November, the province announced a plan to remove 7,400 acres of protected land from the Greenbelt, while adding lands in Wellington County to the Greenbelt area, in order to make way for more housing.

Clark notes the changes will expand the Greenbelt by 2,000 acres. 

Several environmentalists have opposed the move, including the group Environmental Defence. 

The group recently released a report, saying the province has enough land to meet the province's goal without making changes to the Greenbelt. 

"There's lots of reports out there, but I've been very honest with people that the status quo is not going to work", Clark says. "Our best two years in the last 30 have been last year and the year before, where we have 100,000 starts and 96,000 starts...over the next decade, that's not going to build us 1.5 million homes. So we've got to get shovels in the ground faster."

This comes as the province's integrity commissioner paused a request from the NDP to investigate whether Premier Doug Ford acted improperly in relation to his daughter's stag and doe party.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles requested the investigation following media reports that the event was attended by lobbyists and developers.

Both Premier Doug Ford and Clark deny allegations that developers were tipped off in advance about plans for the Greenbelt. 

Integrity Commissioner David Wake says there is some overlap in regards another request related to whether the Ford government tipped off developers.