Housing that works for people and for our city
Housing is one of the most urgent challenges facing Oshawa. It is showing up everywhere: in affordability, in homelessness, in pressure on services, and in the strain on our downtown.
This is not abstract for me.
I have an adult child working full-time in the skilled trades who is still living at home because housing is out of reach. That is the reality for more and more families in our community.
For a long time, cities were told housing was not really our responsibility. That is changing.
The Province is now moving to shift more responsibility for housing and infrastructure directly to municipalities. That means cities like Oshawa will have a bigger role in how quickly housing gets built, what kind gets built, and who it serves.
You can read the provincial announcement here:
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007252/ontario-introducing-legislation-to-strengthen-regional-governance
This creates both pressure and opportunity.
We cannot pass the responsibility elsewhere. We also have more ability to get it right.
What I am hearing
Across Ward 4 and throughout Oshawa, people are telling me:
Rent is too high and rising too fast
Affordable housing options are limited or unavailable
Supportive housing is not keeping pace with need
Encampments and visible homelessness are increasing
People want compassion and they also want to feel safe
There is frustration that decisions take too long and nothing seems to change
These concerns are real. They are connected. And they require action.
My approach
Housing is not one issue. It is a system.
A healthy city includes:
A range of housing people can afford
Supports for those who need them
A downtown where people live, not just pass through
Clear, coordinated decision-making across all levels of government
With the province shifting more responsibility to municipalities, Oshawa needs to step into a stronger leadership role.
What the City can do
Even within a regional system, cities shape what gets built, where it gets built, and how quickly it moves.
Now we are also being asked to do more.
As a councillor, I will focus on practical steps that move things forward.
Reduce barriers for non-profit and community housing
Not by cutting corners, but by making the process clearer, more predictable, and easier to navigate.
That means:
Identifying where projects get stuck
Improving coordination across City departments
Supporting partners who are building housing that serves the community
Support the right housing in the right places
We need a mix of:
Affordable rental housing
Missing middle housing
Supportive housing with services built in
And we need it integrated into neighbourhoods in a way that works for everyone.
Use City tools to support housing
The City can:
Make public land available for affordable and supportive housing
Review development charges where they are barriers to affordability
Update zoning to allow a wider range of housing options
These are practical tools that can unlock real progress.
Strengthen accountability in the rental market
The City can also look at tools like a landlord licensing or rental registry system.
Done properly, this is about:
Protecting tenants from unsafe or poorly maintained housing
Creating consistent standards across rental properties
Supporting responsible landlords
Giving the City better data to understand local housing conditions
Work with partners, not around them
The most effective housing solutions are built through partnership.
The City provides land, planning tools, and leadership.
The Region coordinates services and funding.
The Province funds mental health and addiction supports.
The Federal government contributes capital funding.
Non-profits build housing and deliver supports.
In Oshawa, organizations like Cornerstone Community Association Durham, Canadian Mental Health Association Durham, and YWCA Durham are already doing this work.
The City needs to work with them, not around them.
Connect housing to a stronger downtown
A strong downtown needs people living in it.
That means:
Supporting housing alongside local businesses
Ensuring supports are in place so people can succeed once housed
Recognizing that housing, safety, and economic vitality are connected
A balanced approach
Housing solutions need to work for the whole community.
Supportive housing helps people move out of homelessness and reduces pressure on emergency services
Affordable housing helps people stay housed and prevents homelessness
Both are necessary. Neither works on its own.
The bottom line
There are no quick fixes.
But there are practical steps we can take, and we need to take them.
With new provincial changes, municipalities are being asked to do more and expected to deliver results.
Oshawa can meet that moment by being:
Practical
Coordinated
Focused on real outcomes
Because a city that works for people is one where people can afford to live, and where we actually move solutions forward.
