Can Ottawa count on federal housing platforms?

We take a look at the political parties housing platforms and how they could impact Ottawa. Plus, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board will have its finances reviewed by the province

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Good morning!

This week, I’ve been traveling across the city to speak to candidates about their local priorities for Ottawa. One thing that’s really stood out to me is how little Ottawa-based issues are being talked about in the media. 

As one incumbent candidate told me, I was only their second media request during this campaign. Compare that to just a few years ago, when all the major outlets would sit down with the candidates in each riding. Even CPAC sent film crews out to tour the neighborhoods and give a local perspective to a federal campaign. 

As a journalist it saddens me to see this is what the industry has come to. I also feel a lot of optimism because of organizations like the Lookout which are transforming how media is received (and that’s only possible because we’re mostly reader-funded, which you can support here).

Unfortunately due to time and resources, we couldn’t speak with everybody. But we do have some very exciting stories coming including a look at inter-provincial issues, the battle for federal transit funds in Ottawa, a look at the ridings of Kanata and Ottawa-West Nepean, and what issues voters in Orléans care most about. 

Today, freelance reporter Victor Vigas Alvarez digs deep into the housing file and what the different parties are promising. He also sat down with local organizations to catch their perspectives. 

In non-election news, headlines are continuing to be written about the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, which is having its finances reviewed by the province. Depending on what's found, control of its budget could be taken over. 

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor

X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Thursday: 17 🌡️ 6 | 🌧️

Friday: 13 🌡️ 8 | ☁️

Saturday: 13 🌡️ 3 | 🌧️

OTTAWA NUMBERS

💰️ $1.6 billion: That’s how much, in USD, that UPS is buying a supply chain management company founded by Senators’ owner Michael Andlauer. [CTV]

🪖 400: The number of Canadian Armed Forces members that will be in Ottawa this weekend for emergency response exercises. [CityNews]

♨️ 20: The number of years that Nordik Spa Village has been open. [CTV]

🏒 19,073: The number of fans who came to watch the Senators last night. [Ottawa Citizen]

FEDERAL ELECTION

Can Ottawa count on federal housing platforms?

A new Ottawa Community Housing development being built. Photo by Charlie Senack.

This story is only accessible for Ottawa Lookout members like yourself. Thank you for supporting our hyper-local journalism in Vancouver. Please enjoy this story.

By Victor Vigas Alvarez

With the federal election just under a week out, Ottawa will feel the housing policies of whoever takes the reins next week. As the Liberals and Conservatives make their final pitches on tax cuts, affordable housing, and market regulation, Ottawa is watching.

Liberal leader Mark Carney has committed to create a new government entity to construct homes. Build Canada Homes would see the federal government building affordable housing, financing new developments, and leasing out federal land for the construction of new homes. The Liberals have also pledged to cut the federal GST on sales of new homes for first time homebuyers on homes of up to $1 million. 

The Conservatives have pledged to build 2.3 million homes over five years. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has said he would work with municipalities to reduce development charges on the construction of new homes. The Tories have also announced plans to convert 15 per cent of government buildings into affordable housing. Their plan would also see a cut on the federal GST of homes of up to $1.3 million. This cut, however, would apply to all homebuyers or builders. 

To parse out what the federal promises might look like in Ottawa, The Ottawa Lookout spoke with three local figures about what these might look like in practice, and what they miss. 

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Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said he is “intrigued” by the idea of creating a state builder focused on affordable housing. 

Leiper, who chairs Ottawa’s Planning and Housing committee, noted that the construction of not-for-profit housing is necessary to meet housing demand in a way that private builders can’t due to having to meet profit margins. 

“A larger effort to build not-for-profit housing that is available in the marketplace for significantly less rent than what the market is charging would be my biggest wish for the city.”

He noted Ottawa has benefited from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, receiving $176.3 million to support developments by nonprofits like Ottawa Community Housing. But he added it's still not enough. 

“All we can serve with that is the most vulnerable in the city.”

Leiper also cautioned against waiving or reducing development charges, noting that they cover the cost for public infrastructure in new communities such as fire stations, libraries, and roads. 

“If the parties want to eliminate development charges in order to make it financially more attractive to start building homes in the private market, there has to be a plan to make cities whole.”

Alta Vista Ward Coun. Marty Carr said she hopes whichever government forms power, there will be a large investment in deeply affordable housing.  

Up until about 30 years ago, the federal government funded social housing. Responsibility was then handed to the province, and then uploaded to the city “which doesn’t have the funds to provide subsidies,” noted Carr. 

Now there is the rapid housing initiative, but the Alta Vista councillor said it doesn’t go far enough. 

”We need that deep level of affordability that's equal to rent-to-income units. I would suggest that we take advantage of a lot of the federal lands. My ward currently has about eight pieces of property listed in the public land bank. There are I think five sites at Tremblay, there are two sites on my side of the Hurdman Station, there is the National Defence Medical Centre, and the Heron Road Federal Study Centre.”

Jason Burggraaf, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, said the Conservatives’ plan to cut the federal portion of the GST covers a “wider expanse” of homes and all new construction.

Despite the Conservatives’ tax break not being tailored to first time homebuyers, Burggraaf said that the housing market in Ottawa has recently seen the cost of new builds be comparable to that of pre-owned homes. 

As a surprise consequence, he says, “there's more first-time buyers moving into new housing than one might expect or one might think at first blush.”

Overall, Burggraaf finds the Liberal and Conservative plans to be similar. 

“All the promises are pretty parallel for the most part,” he said. “Some have a bit more carrot and some have a bit more stick.”

Burggraaf said that while housing for vulnerable populations is important, he doesn’t consider there to be enough attention for the vast majority of Canadians overall. 

Tim Richter, CEO of the Canadian Housing Coalition, said that the success of any party’s housing platform would depend on interprovincial cooperation on something like a national housing accord. 

“There's going to have to be a negotiation between all levels of government on who's going to do what,” said Richter, pointing to healthcare agreements between the federal government and provinces as an example. 

Richter said that part of Ottawa’s struggle to accelerate housing is because of the Ontario government’s pace of legislation on provincial funding for homebuilding. To date, Ottawa has received $37.5 million from Ontario’s Building Faster Fund. 

Part of the solution, he said, is reducing or eliminating development charges. 

“The big question is, ‘How would Ottawa reduce development charges to make housing development cheaper in the city?’ That comes down to how you're going to pay for the infrastructure, which comes down to a conversation with other levels of government.”

Ultimately, the question of spurring home growth in Ottawa isn’t as simple as a tax break or waiving development charges. Someone at some point has to foot the bill for concessions being made, the question is who. 

Richter added, “Anything we can do to make the purchase or development of new housing cheaper, will be positive.”

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Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will have its finances reviewed by the province

The Ottawa Carleton District School board will have its finances reviewed after running deficits for four straight years. Photo by Charlie Senack.

What happened: The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board could see its budget taken over by the province after the Ministry of Education appointed an investigator to look over its finances. 

The direction was announced by Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra on Wednesday. He said the reason was that the OCDSB has run a deficit for the last four years and is possibly projecting another for the next school season. The board says there is a possible $20-million shortfall if it can’t reduce its costs. 

“We know that it isn’t just about one or two bad decisions. It points to a broader problem; a pattern of mismanagement and misplaced priorities,” Calandra said at a Queen’s Park press conference. “I want to be very clear - I will be absolutely relentless in ensuring that school boards are accountable to students, parents and teachers.”

Background: The Ontario Education Act states school boards must produce a balanced budget. If not, it can appoint an investigator to review the financial books of the school board. 

  • What they’re saying: OCDSB Chair Lynn Scott said the board will be cooperative with the investigation, but has noted part of the blame is on the province, in what she calls a “misalignment” between the funding formula and the board's staffing model. 

“The deficits in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 were related to pandemic response efforts, including maintaining daycare operations and technology infrastructure to support student learning,” Scott said in a statement to CTV. “The deficits in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years were largely due to shortfalls, specifically regarding retroactive payments related to Bill 124 and cost of living allowances. Our analysis indicates that a key driver of the shortfall is a misalignment between our staffing model and the current funding formula.”

Next steps: To try and help get the financials on track, the board has plans to cut 150 positions. It also plans to reduce transportation costs, and more cutbacks are expected before a final plan is voted on. 

  • Yes, but: The board is unable to close schools, despite a handful which are below the required occupancy. Osgoode/Riverside South/Findlay Creek trustee Jennifer Jennekens told the Lookout she believes that is partly to blame. 

The OCDSB is among five school boards in Ontario on the ministry’s list to investigate. The findings are expected to be shared with the education minister on May 30. 

Changes to the OCDSB elementary program 

The OCDSB is currently facing sweeping changes to its elementary curriculum which have been scaled back after backlash from parents. While some school boundaries will change, the negative impact will be more minimal for some communities. It also significantly scales back the initial boundary and grade reconfiguration changes, “aiming to preserve community ties and reduce the number of K-3 and 4-8 schools.” 

Looking back: Initial plans saw a number of specialized programs get the axe, but now 116 will continue, including autism spectrum disorder, behaviour intervention, deaf/hard of hearing, and developmental disabilities classes, among others. 

Funding challenges: “Until we get to a model where the provincial government funds us appropriately, those kids need to be in specialized classes. If they're mainstreamed, they would need a lot more support in those classrooms and we simply don't have the people power right now. We don't have enough EAs, for instance,” said Barrhaven trustee Donna Blackburn, who was happy to see Barrhaven Public School keep its primary special needs class. 

  • Jennekens agrees. As the parent of a special needs son, she said the provincial government needs to step up its support to fund support workers in a classroom. 

“Our children are our future, and I think it's been underfunded for some time. We also need to look at the moratorium that doesn't allow us to close any schools. That really made it challenging for the OCDSB staff in their elementary program review because they have to make sure our schools are viable,” said Jennekens. 

  • By the numbers: Ontario is spending less on education than it used to. The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario — an independent watchdog — recently found that the province used to spend 24.8 per cent of the budget on education in 1990-91, a number that went down to 18.8 per cent in 2023-24, reported CBC. 

What will still be cut is alternative education. Blackburn was happy to see the change, calling them “boutique” schools. Jennekens said she trusts the data and believes all students should have access to a good education. 

“I think the philosophy that is shared within the alternative schools should be a philosophy throughout all of the district schools. And I think at the end of the day, it's about a good teacher/student relationship,” she said.  

THE AGENDA

🏒 A comeback? It’s looking increasingly unlikely. The Battle of Ontario has become far too one-sided, with the Maple Leafs winning in overtime 3-2 yesterday against the Senators, pushing the series to 3-0 for the Leafs. 

🏥 CHEO is working on new solutions to free up space at the hospital, including moving out paper medical records and allowing some employees to work from home. It’s one of the top priorities for the new CEO of CHEO Dr. Vera Etches, who recently started. [Ottawa Citizen]

🐻 The seasons change, the weather gets better, and the bears head into a town. Bylaw had to tranquillize and move a black bear on Thursday morning that was roaming around in the neighbourhoods of Herzberg/Corkstown in Kanata. [CTV]

🚘️ ByWard Market businesses are raising concerns about a change in parking along Dalhousie, with no-parking extended south of Murray Street on both sides of Dalhousie, amonst other changes, to accommodate new bus route changes as part of the New Ways to Bus plan. [CTV]

🗳️ Could Pierre Poilievre’s seat be at risk? The Liberal Party says their internal polling shows the gap between Poilievre and Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy dropping from 10 points to five. Both the Liberals and Conservatives are sending more staff to the riding. [Ottawa Citizen]

Calling all Ottawa business owners, nonprofits and event organizations

Ever wondered what’s going on with the state of local news, and how to succeed with local advertising in Ottawa?

This weekend, our partnership team is launching an exclusive quarterly newsletter called Lookout Insights, full of the latest strategies on how to get noticed when it comes to local advertising. We’ll also share updates about the Lookout, exclusive discounts on our different ads, and early looks at new ways to reach people.

EVENT GUIDE

Fibre Fling Art Show & Sale | Kitchissippi United Church, 630 Island Park Drive | Apr. 25–26, 10 am | Fibre and mixed-media art exhibit | Free

"Building Climate Resilience with Software and Data" | HS 1301 (Health Sciences Building), Carleton University | May 23, starting 9 am | Network, learn and share knowledge on software tools and data for climate change resilience | Learn more [Sponsored]

Ottawa Aerial Circus Festival | Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue | Apr. 25–27, various times | Circus shows, workshops, and competitions | Tickets $22+

Ottawa Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show | Nepean Sportsplex at 1701 Woodroffe Ave | April 26-27, Saturday and Sunday 10 am-5 pm each day | This weekend free admission, free parking | Learn more [Sponsored]

Orléans PoutineFest | Centrum Plaza, 255 Centrum Boulevard | Apr. 25–27, various times | 75+ types of poutine & spring kickoff fun | Free admission

Irish Film Festival Ottawa | Ottawa Art Gallery | Apr. 25–27, various times | Irish film, music, dance & culture | Tickets $12+

The Ottawa Indie Bookstore Crawl | Various locations | Apr. 25–27, various times | Celebrate indie bookstores by visiting different shops & win book prizes | Free admission

Ottawa Charge | TD Place | Apr. 26, 12 pm | Come see the Ottawa Charge play against the Montreal Victoire | Tickets $87+

The Great Ottawa Markets Collective Craft Destash & Food Market | Bell Sensplex, 1565 Maple Grove Road | Apr. 26, 10 am | Craft supplies and food for makers and DIY enthusiasts | Free

Canadian Imaging Expo | Ottawa Conference and Event Centre, 200 Coventry Road | Apr. 26, 10 am | Photography gear, demos, and exhibits | Tickets $100+

Ottawa Rapid FC | TD Place at Lansdowne, 1015 Bank Street | Apr. 27 & May 15, various times | Pro women’s soccer team kicks off their inaugural game against AFC Toronto | Tickets $24+

Ottawa Orchid Society Annual Show | Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue | Apr. 27, 10 am | Orchid displays, workshops, shopping & more | Learn more

Moss Art Workshop | Parking Indigo Ottawa - St. Margaret's Anglican Church 206 Montréal Rd | April 30, 9 pm - 8:30 pm | General Admission $54.58

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

  • The long-time restaurant John’s Diner is closing, but not because of finances; they just want to end things on a good note. 

  • Does this brewery have the best German-style beer in Ottawa?

  • Bruyère Health Saint-Vincent Hospital is getting a special new robotic bed that helps transfer patients between beds, a process that can be quite straining for workers and patients. [CBC]

  • It looks CHEO’s CEO will have to wear a Maple Leafs jersey, as part of a friendly bet with Sick Kids in Toronto about who’s winning the Battle of Ontario, [CTV]

  • The City Nature Challenge is on from now until April 24, where you record wild plants and animals in cities around the world. Ottawa is participating! 

OTTAWA WORDLE

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