Highlights of the 2018 Ontario Budget

Highlights of the 2018 Ontario Budget
March 29, 2018 -- The 2018 Ontario Budget, entitled A Plan for Care and Opportunity, was unveiled by The Honourable Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister of Finance, on Wednesday, March 28.
OREA has provided a summary and noted that the Budget, which proposes additional spending with a projected deficit of $6.7 billion in 2018 and continued deficits through 2024, offers little in terms of housing and no major new proposal to help young families afford a home.
Below are some of the highlights and major features of the Budget:

• A new Seniors' Healthy Home Program, which provides up to $750 annually for eligible households led by seniors 75 and over to help them live independently and offset the costs of maintaining their homes;
• A decrease in residential electricity bills as of July 1, 2017, by 25 per cent on average, and up to 40 or 50 per cent for eligible rural and low-income families.
• A new Ontario Drug and Dental Program for those without extended health plans;
• Free preschool for children aged two-and-a-half until eligible for kindergarten, beginning in 2020;
• An extension to OHIP+ that will provide people aged 65 and over with free prescription medication;
• An increase in minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2019;
• Free college and university tuition for 225,000 students;
• Investment of $2.1 billion to improve mental health care;

In advance of the Budget, TREB, along with OREA and other stakeholders, successfully secured a halt on Mandatory Home Energy Audits (HER&D), and we're pursuing an optional model. These audits would have resulted in lengthy delays in the home selling process and additional maintenance costs for homeowners.