Hot housing takes

Also: Duelling Ontario Place pitches, MPPs head back to their ridings, spicy Spotteds, staff moves and more

ABOVE THE FOLD

No major events, no Question Period debates, no ministerial announcements and no lobbying activity — it’s a sleepy start to the week. But politicos who were hoping for a relaxing holiday weekend were given a big housing bill, duelling Ontario Place pitches and more. I hope you got your rest while you could.

Here’s what you need to know.

HOT HOUSING TAKES — In theory, the Thursday before Good Friday was a “good” day to bury news. So naturally, that’s when the PCs dropped their big housing plan, aimed at kickstarting their ambitious pledge to build 1.5 million homes over a decade — something the government’s own budget has already poked holes in.

The good: Housing Minister STEVE CLARK has the answer, in the form of Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, which would among other things double fines for scofflaw landlords, freeze 74 provincial fees, and allow tenants to install air conditioners and farmers to add another three homes on their land. Much of t…