How nonprofits can rally to make an Ontario Housing Acquisition Fund a reality

We know that underpinning Ontario’s housing affordability crisis is the fact that individuals and families with low to moderate incomes (earning $58,300 or less) cannot afford to rent or own in the current housing market. We also know nonprofit housing providers are best suited to provide affordable and appropriate housing to Ontarians in perpetuity. For a while, many nonprofit housing providers, including Indigenous housing providers, co-operatives, and community land trusts, have been purchasing private market rental housing to secure the units, and turn them into permanently affordable nonprofit housing. This is known as housing acquisition.

An increasing number of housing nonprofits and allies are now ready, willing, and prepared to acquire more housing to keep it affordable, and have been advocating for a provincial housing acquisition fund for a long time. A fund will allow nonprofits to acquire housing, and keep it affordable, faster, and at a larger scale.

Right now there is a unique window of opportunity to get this policy win in Ontario:

• Ontario’s 2025-2028 Housing Action Plan: As part of the bilateral agreement between the government of Canada and the government of Ontario, the province is required to submit a 2025-2028 Housing Action Plan by December 31, 2024, to secure continued federal funding for the remainder of the 10-year National Housing Strategy agreement. A nonprofit housing acquisition fund is a cost-effective way for Ontario’s government to demonstrate the use of funding to support affordable housing stock in the province. Another opportunity like this may not come till 2028. 
• Ontario’s 2024-25 Pre-Budget submission process: Many organizations participate in provincial pre-budget submissions whether through written submissions or presenting at budget roundtables and committee hearings across the province. This is another opportunity for the sector to echo and amplify a collective ask for more impact. 
• Growing evidence of the effectiveness of nonprofit housing acquisition funds in Canada: Established last year, British Columbia’s $500 million Rental Protection Fund allows nonprofit organizations to purchase buildings at risk of redevelopment or where tenants likely face significant rent increases. To preserve affordable housing, the fund requires buildings to keep existing occupants. Thanks to the B.C. Rental Protection Fund, in just one month, more than 380 rental homes have been preserved on Vancouver Island. Nova Scotia’s Community Housing Acquisition Program serves as another great example: with the help of this program, the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council was able to purchase homes from a private owner and keep the 15 units affordable. The Housing Trust of Nova Scotia was able to prevent the potential loss of 295 existing affordable housing units.
• Potential snap Ontario election within the next year: There is speculation, and signaling by all political parties, of a snap provincial election. As a result, many political parties will be working on their election platforms where housing is not only a key priority, but one which requires urgent solutions. Leading up to an election, political parties tend to be more open to meeting with organizations to hear their concerns and get their input on what to include in party platforms. This is a good time to grab political parties’ attention. 

Five ways housing nonprofits and their allies can advocate together 

The nonprofit housing sector and its allies have long advocated for an Ontario housing acquisition fund, but it hasn’t been as effective as possible because of disjointed messaging, and varying capacity to advocate at each organization. To seize on the current opportunities, and achieve our shared goal, there needs to be a united effort that clearly communicates what is needed. 

Whether you are a big or small organization, in rural or urban centers, now is the time to amplify and echo the nonprofit housing acquisition fund recommendation. There is power in numbers and by using the same messaging and advocating for the same recommendation, our demand becomes clear and we become harder for the government to ignore.

Below are resources that can help you advocate for Ontario’s first Nonprofit Housing Acquisition Fund:

1. Reaching out to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra and Premier Doug Ford
   1. Government meeting talking points 
   2. Government letter template
2. Simply share with others in your network:
   1. Share this briefing note in your newsletters
   2. Use this social media kit to amplify the message
3. Participate in the upcoming pre-budget submission
   •  Copy and paste the ask below into your pre-budget submission:
     “Develop an Ontario nonprofit housing acquisition fund to quickly increase deeply affordable housing stock while protecting existing affordability in perpetuity.  Alongside the federal fund, the Ontario fund can encourage the creation of complementary municipal acquisition programs, all working in-tandem to support in solving the housing crisis.”
   • Let us know if you’ve amplified the ask in your pre-budget submission by emailing candice@theonn.ca.

4. Utilize the power of media
   1. Write an op-ed
   2. Reach out to local media and share your story
5. Reaching out to your elected officials
   1. Email this briefing note to your MPP 
   2. Meet with your MPP to discuss an Ontario housing acquisition fund

Believe it or not, everyone can engage in advocacy

Without this fund, the nonprofit housing sector could be left in a more desperate state of need, and the communities they serve in an even deeper affordability crisis. Organizations can advocate in various ways with different levels of engagement based on their capacity, resources, and priorities. There’s a place for everyone on the advocacy spectrum, and the key is to find the level of engagement that works for your organization.