NDP leader Marit Stiles discusses affordable housing in St. Catharines

Leader of the Ontario NDP Marit Stiles made her way to St. Catharines on Thursday to meet with local leaders and discuss housing affordability challenges and solutions in the city.

Stiles was joined by local MPP Jennie Stevens for the discussion.

“What I’ve heard this morning is that St. Catharines is in the midst of a housing crisis, just like so many other cities I’ve visited across Ontario,” said Stiles.

“It’s getting harder than ever to find affordable housing, and cities like St. Catharines are starting to face rents so high they could have Toronto price tags. We need big solutions to tackle this challenge.”

In a press release shared shortly after the meeting, the NDP said the first component of the party’s plan to solve the housing crisis called “Homes Ontario” plans to fund and build “at least 250,000 new affordable and non-market homes on public land across the province over the next ten years.”

The Ontario NDP say these homes would be operated and/or constructed by public, non-profit or co-op housing providers.

“In the Official Opposition, we think it’s time for a different, bold shift in approach to solve the housing crisis,” said Stiles. “Last month we launched our proposal to get the government back in the business of building housing – and we’re just getting started.”

Beyond the Homes Ontario plan, the party is calling for rent control, an end to exclusionary zoning and “clamping down” on real estate speculation among other measures.

WATCH MORE: NDP leader Marit Stiles’ Toronto office vandalized with pro-Palestinian message