Cambridge candidates on how they'd tackle housing crisis, rise in cost of living

Cambridge is a city that faces a number of challenges including the rising cost of living, limited housing opportunities andclimate change.

There are five people running in the Cambridge riding in this provincial election. They are, alphabetically:

• Carla Johnson, Green Party of Ontario.
• Belinda Karahalios, New Blue Party of Ontario.
• Marjorie Knight, Ontario New Democratic Party.
• Brian Riddell, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.
• Surekha Shenoy, Ontario Liberal Party.

Johnson, Knight and Shenoy joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo for a panel discussion on top issues in this provincial election. The panel was held Friday, May 13at Catalyst 137 in Kitchener.Karahalios and Riddell were unable to attend.

Both Karahalios and Riddell were offered one-on-one interviews. Riddell's office declined. CBCemailed himthe questions asked to the other major party candidates and Riddell provided a written response on May 18. His responses have been included.

Karahaliosdid a one-on-one interview on May 17. Her answers have been included.

The full audio of the panel is available below.

Housing out of reach for many

Shenoy said it saddens her that the cost of housing has risen to a point where it's out of reach for families, young people and professionals.

"You can't really afford a house anymore with the average house price going up to $1 million. That's unbelievable," she said.

She said there needs to be more transparency in the bidding process, mandatory home inspections and the removal of exclusionary zoning, which can be seen as a way to keep affordable housing out of some neighbourhoods.

While she acknowledged that interest rates have gone up, leading to some cooling in the prices, Shenoy said the government also needs to find way to increase supply.

Knight works in the community as an outreach worker to low income families. She said she sees families who yearn to buy a home, but can't afford it and "the dream is dying."

She said an equity loan could help people who are looking to buy a home. But she said housing is also about the rental market and there are big problems for people who rent.

"Rent has gone through the roof," she said. "Renovictions are everywhere. Illegal raises in rent trying to get through to the landlord and tenant board is almost impossible."

She said the most vulnerable peopleshould receive money to supplement their income to pay for housing.

Johnson said the government needs to be more involved in building and maintaining affordable housing so people don't need to live in encampments.

"We haven't seen homelessness like this since probably the Great Depression. And it's just showing us that there's a great big problem," she said.

She said there's also a need to free up regulations so people can convert their homes to build basement apartments or turn them into multi-unit homes.

"The market is leaving out so many people. So that's where the government has to get back involved," Johnson said.

Karahalios said the cost of everything, from electricity rates to building supplies, has gone up. She said the federal carbon tax has increased costs, too.

She the New Blue Party would focus on reducing red tape, which the previous provincial government didn't do.

"We need to build more homes and we need to tell Justin Trudeau that with the increased immigration numbers that we're seeing, that he needs a better plan because Ontario, as it's always been the case ... takes most of the new Canadians," Karahalios said, noting her parents and her in-laws immigrated to Canada.

"What we need to do is to fight to make sure that our infrastructure is keeping up, because right now, it's not."

In his emailed response, Riddell said the Progressive Conservatives have a "credible plan and proven ability" to build more homes in the province.

"We are saying 'yes' to accessible homes, 'yes' to affordable homes, and we will get it done. We will make access to homes fairer for hardworking Ontarians and get all kinds of housing built faster for families who want and need them," he wrote.

Cost of living rises

It's not just housing and rents on the rise the cost of living is making everyday items more expensive.

Knight said she would like to see gas prices regulated "so that whether we are in Sarnia, whether we are in Cambridge or we are in Hamilton or Guelph, the gas price is the same."

She said there should be more opportunities to buy from local farmers and food entrepreneurs, because food that doesn't have to be trucked from another province or country is cheaper.

"The transportation is less, the cost is less, the prices go down," she said. "Living is one thing, and thriving is another. And right now, we're barely living. We got to deal with it and we have to deal with it now."

Johnson said the minimum wage should have been raised "a long time ago. And it's horrific that people have been kept so low, the wages have been kept so low."

She said she wants to see Ontario Disability Support Program payments doubled immediately.

The way communities are built can also impact the affordability of an area, said Johnson.

"We need liveable, walkable, accessible communities where we can sleep and live and eat and work and play all within 15 minutes of each other," she said.

Shenoy pointed to the Liberal plan to make transit rides $1 until January 2024, which would help people who use transit to commute.

As well, she'd like to see the HST removed from prepared foods that cost less than $20.

Shenoy also called for a regionally-adjusted living wage.

"Minimum wage is no longer reflective of the needs of a community. It's the living wage," she said.

Karahalios said she wants people to remember that the Progressive Conservatives "shut down our businesses on four separate occasions over the last two years."

"People are working hard and you need to have a good job and you can have good take home pay so you can take care of yourself and your family," she said.

"When you have no tax relief and you have all of these additional costs, we don't have as much disposable income. And currently none of the established parties, the PC, the Liberals, the NDP,the Greens, none of them are fighting for people to be able to work and bring home more money," Karahalios said.

Riddell said by lowering gas taxes and removing fees for licence plate stickers, it will bring down costs for families.

"We will also continue to support our workersby increasing the minimum wage and creating good jobs through investmentsin key infrastructure,including hospitals and long-term carehomes," he wrote.

Voting day is June 2.

LISTEN | The candidates were also asked about the impact of ministerial zoning orders, encouraging businesses to grow in Cambridge, as well as what they would do to advocate for climate change at Queen's Park. Those answers can be heard in the full audio of the panel below: