The Toronto Star,  January 27, 2009

While the federal government is proposing to pump more than $2 billion into needed social housing across Canada, the cost of repairs to Ontario's housing alone is estimated at about $1.2 billion, according to Derek Ballantyne, CEO of Toronto Community Housing.

"Is it enough? No, but it's still pretty considerable," Ballantyne said. And this is a watershed moment: "It's the first time the money has been coming for the repair of social housing. So that's a pretty big deal.

"I think the federal government finally understands that it has to re-engage in supporting investments they were involved (in) in the past."

Of the $2 billion package to be announced in today's federal budget, $1 billion is expected for renovating existing social housing and $600 million for housing on reserves, "a long-standing need," he said.

"There's a general shortfall overall of social housing in this country," said Sharad Kerur, executive director of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association, agreeing with Ballantyne that $1.2 billion is a conservative estimate. "In Ontario alone there are a minimum of 124,000 people on a waiting list for social housing, and 70,000 of those people are in Toronto," he said.

Canada is falling behind other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Kerur said. "We are the only OECD country in the world (including the U.S.) that does not have a national housing strategy."

Diane Finley, minister of human resources and skills, told the Star's Bruce Campion-Smith, "There is a very significant need ... to upgrade the quality of the social housing that is in the current inventory."

Ballantyne said he'd like to know if this is a one-time payment or the first in a series of federal contributions. "If the city of Toronto were to get $100 million to fix its social housing, that's a pretty big deal."

Ballantyne cited housing complexes at 200 Wellesley St. in St. James Town, Moss Park Apartments at 275 Shuter St., and the Gordonridge Place complex near Danforth Rd. and Midland Ave. as examples of aging buildings that need extensive repairs.