CUPE’s municipal sector workers are leading a new campaign: Reclaim our Cities – Repeal Bill 23 in response to the Ford government’s brazen attacks on municipalities.

In November, the provincial government passed Bill 23, a legislation that will starve municipalities of funding, harm our environment, and worsen the housing crisis.

The stated purpose of Bill 23, Build Homes Faster Act is to make housing more attainable by increasing supply. However, the legislation serves for-profit developers’ interests by redefining “affordable housing,” making it easier to evict renters, and weakening environmental protections. It is no coincidence that many developers have close ties to the Ontario PC party.

Bill 23 will be particularly destructive when combined with Bill 3 (Strong Mayors Act) and Bill 39 (Better Municipal Governance Act), which undermine local democracy by giving unprecedented powers to “strong mayors” who can force through changes with only one-third of council support.

The main impacts of Bill 23 include:

  • Municipal budget cuts: The legislation exempts and reduces developers’ fees that municipalities use to fund housing infrastructure including roads, parks and sewers, and other vital programs including emergency services. The projected overall revenue shortfall for municipalities is approximately $560 million to $1 billion annually.
Reclaim Our Cities
  • Environmental damage: Bill 23 opens Ontario’s precious Greenbelt to developers while gutting the powers of Conservation Authorities. The protections accorded to the Greenbelt preserve our farmland, forests, rivers, lakes and wetlands. Protecting this space is essential for fresh air, clean water, local farming and preserving our natural heritage.
  • Fueling the housing crisis: The legislation changes the definition of “affordable housing,” allowing developers to claim subsidies for building homes that cost more than $700,000.

For details and more information, please download our campaign handout  https://cupe.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Repeal-Bill-23-Campaign-Handout_Final.pdf

To help us fight back against this legislation, send an email to your MPP, the minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Premier Ford.

Our demands

  • Repeal Bill 23.
  • Create a new housing plan premised on the principle that Housing is a Human Right and that truly affordable housing should be accessible to everyone.
  • Improve funding for municipalities to enable the delivery of strong public services that improve quality of life for all citizens.
Click here to download the Campaign Handout