Toronto taxpayers woke up Wednesday morning still owning 22 Toronto Community Housing homes Mayor Rob Ford wants to sell.
Ford and outgoing TCHC managing director Case Ootes are recommending selling off the single-family homes to help generate an estimated $15.7 million to throw into the corporation's $647-million capital repair backlog.
But despite city council spending almost all day discussing the sale, councillors failed to reach a decision Tuesday.
After listening to hours of questions and statements from left-leaning councillors about the houses and meeting behind closed doors twice, Ford and several members of his inner circle voted against extending the debate past 8 p.m. to wrap up the item.
They'll be back Wednesday considering at least seven amendments -- most which would keep some or all of the homes either in city hands or, in the case of a motion by Councillor Paula Fletcher, given away to another affordable housing provider.
Ford accused his opponents of stalling.
"They're playing games," Ford told reporters. "I feel very confident we have the votes and we're going to sell those 22 and then we're going to look at selling off the 900."
After the meeting, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday called the filibuster a "strange strategy."
"It is just wasting time and wasting money here," he said.
Holyday said the opposition is ignoring the fact the sale of the 22 homes could generate enough money to help 450 families "living in terrible conditions."
"In (Fletcher's) case she wants to give these homes away and let the 450 people just stay where they are. That makes absolutely no sense at all; as a matter of fact it is deplorable.
"For people who pretend they are the saviour for everyone, just to let these 450 people deal with their own problems when they can't do it is absurd."
Ford and outgoing TCHC managing director Case Ootes are recommending selling off the single-family homes to help generate an estimated $15.7 million to throw into the corporation's $647-million capital repair backlog.
But despite city council spending almost all day discussing the sale, councillors failed to reach a decision Tuesday.
After listening to hours of questions and statements from left-leaning councillors about the houses and meeting behind closed doors twice, Ford and several members of his inner circle voted against extending the debate past 8 p.m. to wrap up the item.
They'll be back Wednesday considering at least seven amendments -- most which would keep some or all of the homes either in city hands or, in the case of a motion by Councillor Paula Fletcher, given away to another affordable housing provider.
Ford accused his opponents of stalling.
"They're playing games," Ford told reporters. "I feel very confident we have the votes and we're going to sell those 22 and then we're going to look at selling off the 900."
After the meeting, Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday called the filibuster a "strange strategy."
"It is just wasting time and wasting money here," he said.
"In (Fletcher's) case she wants to give these homes away and let the 450 people just stay where they are. That makes absolutely no sense at all; as a matter of fact it is deplorable.
"For people who pretend they are the saviour for everyone, just to let these 450 people deal with their own problems when they can't do it is absurd."
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