After the Greenbelt scandal broke, Ontario Premier Doug Ford had a new appointment added to his schedule: a meeting every two weeks to talk homebuilding with his top political advisors and ministers.
Biweekly housing meetings, which began in September 2023, were called to make sure that the premier’s office, minister of municipal affairs and housing, and other ministries were all on the same page as the government began work on its next housing law.
That law, the first under Housing Minister Paul Calandra, would eventually be tabled in April 2024, missing ambitious density proposals, particularly around transit.
The meetings represent a rare and recurring venture into granular policy details for Ford.
While schedules seen by Global News show the premier is often given high-level briefings, it is uncommon for the most senior politician in Ontario to make repeat appearances at policy meetings on a specific topic.
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A senior government source told Global News the biweekly housing meetings were designed …