PAGE 8, WHTPY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH- 2,1988 John 'Sew ell Privatilzat dt.ion and suburbs led o ousing crISIS By DEBORAH LUCHUK According to John SeWell, the present.housing crisis in Toronto and in thisarea is caused by the dual evils of prîvatization and the modem suburb. The former mayor of Toronto, ur- ban columnist and chairman of the Metropolitan Toronto Housing Authority spoke at the annual meeting of the Social Planning Council of Newcastle, Oshawa and Whitby (NOW) on Monday. Although SeweIl had been aware .of the serious housing.shortage in Toronto, the situation did not really present itself' to him graphically un- til the summer of 1987. He decided to f nd out, for his own clarification, just how many people were sleeping* in a local park to get an idea of the magnitutde of the situation-. Coun- ting 48 people ýsleeping there, it became clear that something had to be done about itandsoon. It is not only the homeless that are in need of affordable housing. Those who are siightly More wealthy live in truly awful, rundown places, of- ten paying rents beyond their. means. The average Canadian also has a dream of owning his own home. According to Sewell, this is no longer possible for most people economically. An income of $60,000 per year is necessary to. buy a home in the Metropolitan Toronto area. And being on the "fringe" of Toronto, this area is following suit in housing prices and availability of affordable rentaI housing. Sewell blamed two factors in the creation of the housing problem: privatization of the housing industry and the modern suburb. Increasing withdrawal of the federal government from housing projects in the reconstruction period after Worid War II, or *privatization of the housing industry is to blame in part, he said. In order to stimulate the economy, the government pulled out of the housing economy and assisted privatization-by sponsoring mor- tgage insurance for financial in- stitutions, helping private industry to free up investment money, providing an infrastructure for new development and then left supply to the private market, he noted. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) was set up, and slums.were cleared ont. With a depression in the late 1950s MPPs are invited to Poôverty Game The Social Planning Council of Newcastle, Oshawa and Whitby urges local MPP's to experience life belowthepovertylifle. Ail MPPs have been invited to a workshop on April 15 called "The Poverty Game," sponsored by Op- portunity for Advancement, a Toronto-based orgamization helping women on social assistance. The Poverty Game simulates life on welfare. Participants are given an identity card and weif are cheque ', and must make their way around a game board which includes the major and minor crises of life. The Social Planning Council, a member of the United Way, has en- couraged Mike Breaugh, Sam Cureatz and Alian Furlong to par- ticipate in the workshop. .Susan Fletcher, the SPCIs executive director, noted, "We hope that 'Poverty Game' will sensitize our MPPs to the realities of life for their poorer constituents, in <preparation for the release of the report of the provincial gover- nment's Social Assistance Review Commîttee. *"We hope that legisla tors wil becoine more receptive to the need for the drastic changes needed to Improve the lives- of people on there were housing shortages onice more, a lack of affordable housing a real problemn once more. The gover- nment built subsidized houslng, but this was criticized for segregating the lower incomne groups and the. units were deemned to be substan- dard by somne, said Sewell. 'Since the Hellyer Report on Housing ini 1970-71 (which recommiended government withdrawal -from subsidized housing), the governiment has with- drawn from the housing industry.ý Privatization led to the second source of the housing problemn -the modemn suburb. Sewell believes ahl suburbs are modelled on Don Milîs, the first modemn suburb to be built in Metro ini the mýid 1950s It introduced the idea of the perfect, exclusive community, and only single famnily units were built there. Byiaws were strictly enforced, banning any commercial develop- ment or apartment/multi-unit dwellings. There was no low income housing constructed there. Other builders, upon seeing the massive financial success of the new suburb, naturally foilowed suit and con- structed more of these communities ail. modelled on. Don Milis. The downtown became the only place to f ind housing for those who didn't conform to the single family, middle ciass ideal of Don Milîs.> At present, 90-95 per cent of the Toronto urban area is occupied by suburbs.. .To compound the problem, this exclusive housing has fostered an ideology of exclusivity -Sewell cites our attitudes toward affor- dable housing as being part of the problem. Municipalities have passed bylaws to restrict subsidized or rentai housing because of the desire for excelusive communities. The majority don't want this kind of housing "in their backyard." The solution to this seemingly en- dless, hopeless, problem? More government involvement, says Sewell. The provincial government, must encourage municipalities to banish bylaws discriminating against affordable and rentai housing; there must be minimum building densities enforced»to make maximum use of space; and builders must be given a mandate to incorporate rentai and low income housing in each development that they construct. This community must reject the modern suburb before the problem escalates.in the Oshawa-Whitby area, Sewell conclu.ded. Sewell's address was followed by a word .of thanks from the new r u R'A, ~-D~ Again! and WEIREHAUGENIS CHICKEN *OPENING 1BARBEQUE FOR Cic i BARBEQUE HWYo 7& 12 - MANCHESTER - ONTARIO Opéning for the season WED. MARCH 9 *We hope that ail our valued customers * *ertjoyed.a safe and happy wnter season.* *Drop in soon andl try the best barbequed * CHICKEN & RIBS, and *STRAWBERRY PIE you have ever tcisted. NOW HIRING STAFF *We require: HOSTESSES, WAITERS, * WAITRESSES, COOKS, AND *DISHWASHERS for the coming season. 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