Nate Erskine-Smith

The Mayor and City Council

Building housing and delivering excellent city services, from transit to safety to snow removal. I served as the MP for Beaches-East York for over a decade, including a stint as the Housing & Infrastructure Minister. I have a track record of principled and effective advocacy, working across party lines to get things done. As the Housing Minister, I worked well with Mayor Chow to deliver for Toronto. We got a lot done together and I hope we can get even more done together on council.

Housing

Smart growth: gentle density in neighbourhoods, midrise on avenues, and greater density near transit hubs. All matched by access to green spaces, transit, and community infrastructure. Ambitious expansion of non-market housing, using city land and land owned by nonprofits. Better tenant protections, building on the work of the Chow administration with RentSafeTO. Action to end homelessness, including rent supplements together with supportive and rapid housing.

Cost of Living

I support Mayor Chow’s commitment to tie any future property tax increases to inflation, better protect tenants, expand access to school food and libraries, and cap TTC fares. I also hope to play a serious role in getting more housing built across our city. Building more homes will increase our property tax base and help the city’s fiscal sustainability. Building nonmarket housing at scale will mean long-term affordability. And building rapid housing will better address homelessness.

Safety in Public Spaces

Mayor Chow's multi-year hiring plan for policing is already set. We need to do more to address homelessness and help people into homes. Housing first. We can deliver dignity for those in need at the same time as we ensure our parks and public transit are welcoming to all.

Getting Around the City

Fast, safe, reliable transit: speed up streetcars and subways. Construction that is well coordinated and communicated (including expediting the existing work to rebuild the Gardiner). Complete and integrated bike lane network.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

We all need to stand together against hate, harassment, intimidation, and obstruction. Councillors should show leadership by highlighting the kind of city we want to live in, calling out hate, and building bridges between communities.