A majority of NewmarketToday local readers are expressing support for York Region proceeding with a tax on vacant homes.
More than 60 per cent of local poll respondents indicated they are in favour of the tax. NewmarketToday polling found that 68 per cent expressed support for the concept, while approximately 26 per cent expressed some level of opposition.
York Region has been doing its own surveying this summer as it explores the feasibility of implementing such a tax, meant to reign in speculators with empty houses amidst a housing crisis. We asked our readers: Should York Region implement a tax on vacant houses?
Here are the local results:
- Yes, absolutely. We need to tax people letting houses sit empty during a housing crisis — 581 votes, 61 per cent
- No, absolutely not. People should have the right to sue their property as they see fit, without worrying about extra taxes — 187 votes, 20 per cent
- Yes, with caveats. The rules need to be specific and/or I don’t think the tax should be much — 81 votes, 8 per cent
- I am indifferent. I do not think it will make much of a difference to the housing situation — 60 votes, 6 per cent
- No, not in most cases. Perhaps in egregious situations, but most vacant properties are fine and not that way for long — 47 votes, 5 per cent
The poll ran from July 7 to 26. It received 956 local responses — out-of-area respondents are filtered out — with a 3.16 per cent margin of error.
The most popular response expressed unreserved support for the concept, with 581 votes. In contrast, unreserved opposition to the tax only garnered 187 votes.
Vacant housing taxes have received more consideration for Ontario municipalities in recent months, with Toronto and Ottawa planning to implement them. The concept would see any vacant homeowners taxed potentially thousands in an attempt to increase housing and rental supply.
York Region has held an online survey to understand how the public feels about the concept after council directed staff to further explore the tax. The region’s supervisor of development charges policy David Cohen said they received a similar indication of popular support for a vacant housing tax.
“I would say the public very much appreciates the housing affordability challenges that York Region faces,” he said. “They also largely support a vacant homes tax as one of the tools to potentially address those challenges.”
The region held an online survey from June to mid-July and hosted online town halls to gather more feedback on the concept. The exact form of the tax is to be determined, but the region estimates there are approximately 4,000 vacant properties and that a tax could cost between $8,000 and $16,000 a year for vacant homeowners.
Regional staff are preparing a report in September to update council on their findings. Cohen said that would be followed by further consultation, with council potentially deciding in early 2023 whether to proceed with the tax. He added that the province also needs to provide a designation to allow York Region to do it.
The September report will “summarize everything from our surveys, our two virtual town halls, and our engagement with our local municipal partners,” he said.
Although there is an indication of strong public support, Cohen said they would also consider “good, constructive comments” more critical of the tax. He said those comments help to develop policy, noting decisions would need to be made around exemptions such as cottages.
“All of that feedback is being considered and will help to inform the work that we do.”
Although the York Region survey is closed, Cohen said they will still welcome feedback going forward. You can find more information at york.ca/vacanthomestax.
