Recent affordable housing initiatives

I’ve spent the last few days doing research on affordable housing, and a couple of recent initiatives have caught my eye that I wanted to share.

The Ontario Government recently announced the creation of a long-term provincial affordable housing strategy, which will provide a framework for affordable housing in Ontario over the next ten years. The government recently embarked on a series of consultations with citizens and community groups over the next six months in order to determine the course of the strategy.

In today’s Toronto Star, columnist Carol Goar writes of the consultative process currently taking place, and of the crucial role that grassroots organizing have made in prioritizing housing.

Affordable housing is a component of the province’s poverty reduction strategy, and significant investments in housing are a crucial step in reducing poverty. I was happy to hear about the McGuinty government’s commitment, and I look forward to seeing the results.

On another positive note, the Toronto-based Wellesley Institute recently created an online, interactive map of local housing initiatives across Canada. The Institute has invited organizations across the country to update the map with their local initiatives to create a comprehensive picture of community-based engagement on housing across the country.

The presence of so many organizations also illustrates the growing demand for affordable housing in Canada and the need for a federal role in providing funding for it. The map is a great tool for housing advocates, officials and interested citizens alike, and already offers a wealth of information.

It’s heartening to see how much innovative work to provide affordable housing is being done in communities across the country, and the very real change that is being created both at the local and government levels as a result.