Greenbelt: Not to blame for housing prices

As house prices continue to soar in the Greater Toronto Area, some developers continue to blame Ontario’s Greenbelt. The group representing developers, BILD, argues that if the farmland protected under the Greenbelt were freed up for more housing, this would ease prices. However, urban planners and other experts say blaming the Greenbelt for high housing prices is wrong. The executive director of Environmental Defence, Tim Gray:

“There is no evidence that the province’s Greenbelt or Growth Plan are responsible for significant increases in housing prices. Sprawl-hungry developers perpetuate the myth because they want to continue their outdated pattern of paving over some of the best farmland to build car dependent, low-density housing.”

In his Toronto Star opinion piece, Gray points out that other major Canadian cities without land-protection policies have even higher home prices.

“House prices are increasing in many large cities across Canada that don’t have anti-sprawl rules. Prices have gone up by 181 per cent in Edmonton, 183 per cent in Calgary, and 192 per cent in Winnipeg from 2007-2015, all without anti-sprawl protections, while the increase in Toronto during that period was 165 per cent. Even with the world’s largest Greenbelt at its doorstep and a Growth Plan designed to create more compact growth, Toronto doesn’t top the list — a fact BILD conveniently forgets.” 

The Ontario government is proposing to strengthen and expand some sections of the Greenbelt. The public is being urged to comment on the plans over the summer months. Food & Water First will be participating. Stay tuned!