Hardeman Asks for Answers on Affordable Housing

Tuesday, 24 March 2015 at 05:37

Ernie Hardeman questions Premier Kathleen Wynne about decisions made while she was the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

QUEEN'S PARK - Ernie Hardeman says taxpayers and families waiting for affordable houses deserve answers.

During Monday's meeting of the Ontario Legislature, Hardeman questioned Premier Kathleen Wynne on some of the actions taken during her time as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

“Instead of providing housing for Ontario families in need Housing Services Corporation put affordable housing money in what appears to be a shell corporation located in England,” said Hardeman. “I can't understand why anyone would think it was acceptable to use money intended for affordable housing in this way.”

Hardeman accuses the Housing Services Corporation of investing more than $30 000 into HS 497 Ltd, a company based out of Manchester, England. This investment was listed in the 2010 financial statements, and should have gone to Wynne.

Other questions were raised concerning more affordable housing funds given to Innoserv, a for-profit solar panel company. Most of the money was given through loans that were deemed uncollectable within the same year in which they were issued. The company has since gone under and those funds cannot be recovered.

"Taxpayers and families waiting for affordable housing deserve some answers,” said Hardeman. “We need the provincial auditor to investigate to see what happened, are there more of these questionable deals and is there any way we can get the affordable housing money back?”

Hardeman also touched on affordable housing providers needing to purchase their insurance and natural gas through Housing Services Corporation - a requirement he says costs municipalities as much as a million dollars extra per year.

Hardeman says, “There is a pattern here of money that was intended for affordable housing going into questionable deals that seems very similar to what happened at ORNGE air ambulance."