Why the province is proposing to transfer social housing to municipalities Social housing is a service that is best administered at the local level.
Local governments are closest to the people they serve and best know the needs of their communities.
Transferring social housing to the municipal level would provide the opportunity to integrate some aspects of program delivery with other social services such as Ontario Works and child care. This, in turn, would pave the way for better services for individuals and lower costs for taxpayers. The proposed legislation restructures governance of the social housing business. Currently, municipalities pay for social housing, while the province administers the program. This legislation would provide a new structure to allow service managers to administer social housing.