Ontario Green Party makes pitch for middle housing bill at stop in Kitchener

The Ontario Green Party is looking to make a dent in the housing crisis.

Leader Mike Schreiner joined MPP Aislinn Clancy in Kitchener Wednesday for the final stop on the "Legalize It" pro-housing tour.

"We would love to have a kid or adopt a kid, but we just have a one bedroom and we need a bigger space," said Shiva Subramanian, current renters in attendance at the talk. "We would not be able to afford a bigger space or buy space because of how crazy the market is."

The Greens are looking to pitch their idea to increase housing density as part of a new bill.

"It's about legalizing fourplexes, four storey buildings, six to 11 storey buildings along major transportation corridors so we can quickly increase housing supply," said Schreiner.

Bill 156 – 'Building Homes You Can Afford in the Communities You Love Act' – will make a dent in the housing crisis by updating the planning laws, according to the Green Party.

"70 per cent of Ontario is locked into zoning," said Clancy. "That means you can only build a single family home."

Clancy adds that she will take the feedback from the town hall and put it into a private members bill she will present in March.

"I've long encountered folks who were facing the housing crisis, people who were getting evicted, people who had to spend so much of their income on housing, they couldn't afford to feed their kids," said Clancy. "It's only gotten worse."

The middle housing bill's ballot date is set for Feb. 28 at Queen's Park.