Open letter #5 to Premier Ford and Mayor Chow

The late afternoon news Thursday was all about housing starts, but not one word about apartments for those of us who are waiting for an apartment. Housing starts news is not news. Apartment starts would be news. (Mayor Chow??)

Who cares about houses when you're in a shelter or another form of inadequate accommodation. How could a homeless person afford to buy a house. We are ignored while Premier Ford obfuscates. He is absolutely evading and ignoring the need for apartments. I am left with the impression that he and I, for instance, are living on different planets, that's okay, really, it's fine, but the government is responsible for the homeless mess by way of the inadequate apartment supply. So we need to be on his radar. While he burbles about housing starts, another person is forced onto the street. Has he ever acknowledged the lack of housing, meaning apartments, meaning the apartment supply? The guy has no interest in the supply of affordable abundant accommodation usually associated with apartment blocks.

Blocks are great if they are constructed properly, to a much higher standard than Regent Park or Alexandria Park were. Forget about building for the "poor", please. Vienna built for a classless people, and the buildings, after 75 years are alive and well. (Mayor Chow??? are you reading this?)

It's not people who are homeless that the Premier is concerned about, it's people who want to buy houses. He even said that some municipalities don't want to build. How's that for evading the issue of lack of supply in the affordable sector -- he needs to quit concentrating on houses, and consider housing in a broader sense. We need well-built concrete apartment blocks for all who want a place to live.

Do not shift blame on to municipalities, Premier Ford. And get rid of the rent geared to income legislation because it is feudal and discriminatory.

Maybe we need a new premier... Someone who would understand that we all count. Even those of us who ride bicycles.