NDP Housing Critic Cheri DiNovo said today that the government’s failure to meet its existing affordable housing commitments does not inspire trust and confidence in the newly launched Affordable Housing consultations.

“Setting long term goals for affordable housing is important,” said DiNovo. “But the government hasn’t even met it short-term target for new affordable housing.”

“Today we are hearing that tenants are increasingly being discriminated based on race, gender and economic status. In March, I introduced a Private Members’ Bill calling on the Ontario government to recognize that every person has a human right to adequate and affordable housing. It is time that the government recognized housing as a basic human right,” said DiNovo.

The government promised to build 20,500 affordable housing units by 2009. According to its website, only 8,595 new affordable housing units are now occupied.

“We are currently experiencing an affordable housing crisis in Ontario,” said DiNovo. “In the GTA there are over 70,000 families waiting an average of 8 to 12 years for affordable housing units. In my home riding of Parkdale-High Park, people are spending in excess of 75% of their income on rent. This is a shameful reflection on this government’s lack of action on affordable housing,” concluded DiNovo.