Housing was the focus of a mayoral candidates debate Tuesday night at the Army Navy & Airforce Veterans Hall.
Debate moderator and United Housing Director Kathy Vassilakos said people are looking for ideas, vision, strategies and prioritization from the candidates. Affiliated with United Way Perth-Huron, United Housing is Perth-Huron’s non-profit housing organization dedicated to creating and sustaining mixed-income rental units.
All five mayoral candidates attended including Jo-Dee Burbach, Mark Hunter, Martin Ritsma, Robert Ritz and Andrew Rea.
There were a lot of questions and responses from candidates. Some highlights are below:
As mayor, how do you plan to create the roughly 240 new units (at least 20 per cent of them being affordable to meet population growth and the needs ) that are needed to keep up with growth projections?
Ritz said his goal is to use some municipal-owned lands to provide housing that the city will develop as a corporation.
Continuing to partner with the provincial and federal governments as well as contractors is key, Ritsma said.
Rea said the city should ensure they’re fighting for the most allocation available for affordable housing for the next generation while Hunter said creative solutions need to be found to build the needed units, adding that Build Canada Homes can help achieve this while keeping costs down.
Burbach said her way forward is to use the information they have to create a housing strategy to support the city.
Do you support a legally-sanctioned encampment with health and safety features such as bathrooms and shower facilities? If not, what would you do differently to address the needs of residents living in encampments?
Hunter said while he would support encampments in the short-term, the city does need longer term solutions such as a 12-unit supportive housing complex that provides wrap-around supports.
Burbach said the city already has better solutions such as the shelter service program and Stratford Connection Centre. She proposes emergency shelter beds as an alternative for encampments.
Ritz said we should support people before they end up in encampments. He suggests providing short-term resolutions such as port-a-potties while they work towards a longer term solution for those in need.
Consideration needs to be given to both the individual that is under-sheltered and the local community, Ritsma said. He added the city is spending money addressing the issue.
Solutions if you know where to look for them, Rae said. He added there are unused resources the city could allocate towards, and that those with lived experience should have a seat at the table.
As mayor, what is your stance on density intensification including multi-story and high rise development?
Ritsma said the city should intensify density so farm land doesn’t get taken away. Building up is something the city needs to do, Rea said, adding that the sky is the limit.
Hunter said he supports increased density for the community. He said more public space will be needed as a result.
Density is needed, specifically smaller units to make them more affordable, Burbach said.
Ritz said he believes in building within, with respectful intensification instead of building upwards.
The municipal election day is Oct. 26.
