Oshawa Councillor Derek Giberson is calling for immediate action to turn municipally owned land into affordable housing sites, arguing that the ongoing housing crisis leaves no room for years-long delays or procedural detours.
Giberson will introduce a motion Monday directing city staff to consult residents and stakeholders to identify “strategic priority” parcels of city-owned land that could be leveraged to advance housing affordability. While he acknowledges that using municipal property won’t solve the crisis on its own, he says the city can no longer afford to wait. “We are in a housing affordability crisis,” he said. “This one thing is not going to fix everything in Oshawa, but what we don’t need is to delay it.”
A city committee previously recommended the proposal be sent to an Official Plan review—a move Giberson firmly rejects. “It would be several years before any action sees the light of day,” he said. “We need action now.”
He emphasized that the idea is not new, noting that many municipalities across Ontario—both upper- and lower-tier—have long used public lands to support affordable housing development. “We know this works,” Giberson said. “We just need to get into the game.”
Giberson argues that the city’s past land contributions have been inconsistent. While Oshawa has transferred or sold property for housing projects before, he said these have been