‘Housing, housing, housing’: London area leaders speak to province at ROMA Conference

There is no question about what Oxford County Warden Marcus Ryan wants to tell provincial leaders in Toronto, Ont. over the next few days.

“Housing, housing and housing,” says Ryan from the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel where the annual ROMA (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) conference is taking place.

“Our point to them (provincial government) at this conference is going to be we've committed $3 million a year in affordable housing,” says Ryan. “We would like you to match those funds, and let's try and actually build some housing.”

Ryan told CTV News recently the plan to build more housing for residents in Oxford County is going to be expensive for residents.

“Right now that housing is slowing down,” adds Ryan.

“So what we're all doing collectively right now is not working to get more housing for our residents. At the end of the day, people don't really care what I'm here in Toronto doing and who I'm talking to the provincial government. All they care is are we going to get them results?”

Back in September 2022, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and MPP Rob Flack visited Dorchester, Ont. to announce funding for an early-on program. Middlesex County wants to know how they plan on paying the operating costs.

“We have a shortfall for that programming,” says Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, warden of Middlesex County.

“We estimate that running that program costs $200,000 per year and as of yet the province has yet to come up with the money for how we're going to fund it.”  

Middlesex sees families benefitting from the programming but wants equitable funding for the residents.

They’ll also speak to the ministers about helping with offload delays at hospitals and more permanent sustainable housing for the unsheltered in rural Ontario.

Meanwhile, a new council in Elgin County is taking in the conference to learn about how it operates. They will meet with a number of ministers but don’t have a specific plan.

One thing they would like to see is improved rural transit which was established through grants during the pandemic.

“Not a lot of people understand rural transit, or how to access it,” says Ed Ketchabaw, warden of Elgin County.

“We're looking to continue that and hopefully get some support from the government to expand perhaps rural transit, plus, even promote it better. When it's coordinated, we have something that really works.”

Ketchabaw wants to establish better north-south routes, stating he believes there are some good east-west corridors.

The ROMA Conference runs until Tuesday.