New Poll: Huge Public Support for Building Housing in existing towns and cities, not on the Greenbelt
February 5, 2024
ENVIRONICS POLL SHOWS HUGE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HOUSING SOLUTIONS IN CITIES, NOT THE GREENBELT
The Alliance for a Liveable Ontario commissioned Environics Research to gauge public perceptions about the cause of the housing crisis facing Ontario, the preferred solution and whose opinion people trust.
The results show there is overwhelming support for governments to be actively involved in getting housing built in existing towns and cities where services already exist. Ontarians do not want housing on the Greenbelt and farmland.
Key Takeaways:
-83% of Ontarians hold the view that there is no need to build housing on the Greenbelt and farmland to solve Ontario’s housing challenges because there is enough land already available in existing towns and cities. This view mirrors the findings of multiple reports (see here) that show more than enough land has been set aside within existing urban boundaries to build over 2 million homes.
-88% of Ontarians think the government should get actively involved in housing solutions, focusing on lands where services already exist.
-41% of Ontarians either trust no one or are not sure about who to trust when it comes to the housing issue. Civil society groups are trusted by 33%. The Premier is trusted by 10%, local Councils by 10%, and housing developers by 6%.
