Affordable housing forum hopes to start conversation, find solutions
The lack of affordable housing in the West Island will be tackled during an upcoming forum and the general public as well as elected officials are invited to participate and offer viable solutions.
Alena Ziuleva, the director of Table de quartier sud de l’Ouestde-l’Île (TQSOI), said an estimated 9,000 people (including around 500 children) live under the poverty line within the south West Island sector that the TQSOI covers. As a result, there is a real need for affordable housing.
“The idea behind this (forum) project is to at least start the conversation and to find collective solutions for the lack of affordable housing in the West Island,” she said.
“There is a need for affordable housing for those living in poverty and low-income earners. Let’s not forget about seniors and young professionals. When (students) graduate from school they need a place to stay in. We see when they graduate they move out of the West Island because they can’t afford to stay (on their own) in their home communities.”
As for seniors, Ziuleva noted many would like to downsize from their single-family residence but, frustratingly, don’t have a lot of affordable nearby options.
The TQSOI covers five West Island municipalities along Lake St. Louis as well as Kirkland and Senneville.
The housing forum supports the community group’s mission statement which notes that this area of the West Island “has traditionally been regarded as a wealthy sector” though “its social development needs have long gone unrecognized” and that “vulnerable neighbourhoods and important social issues are hidden in the midst of this wealth.”
The sector of the West Island covered by the TQSOI is dominated by single-family homes, with a limited number of rental units and even less affordable or social housing. Rental units are more common in Dorval and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, with a marginal availability in Kirkland.
However, Ziuleva pointed out that in Dorval and neighbouring towns, there are no subsidized housing units for people under 65 years of age.
“If you are not a senior, there is no subsidized housing option for you she said. “Even for seniors, the need is greater than the supply we have in our (TQSOI) territory. They have to live long enough to stay on a waiting list for a chance to live in subsidized housing.”
Ziuleva said West Island municipalities need to improve urban-planning policies by making sure new residential developments include affordable or community-housing units.
The reality is that most new, multi-unit, residential construction projects in the area are geared toward the highend condo market and don’t include any affordable rental units which means the need for affordable housing is not being addressed by the projects that are currently underway in the sector, Ziuleva noted.
She said that if vulnerable families spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing or shelter, they may be forced to cut back on food, medication or education needs and that the need for affordable housing is also reflected in the increasing demand on local food banks.
TQSOI is encouraging West Islanders to voice their concerns to local candidates on the campaign trail about the need for improvements to social services, housing needs, food security and public transportation.
For more information, check tqsoi.org.
A pre-forum meeting takes place Oct. 4 (10-11:30 a.m.) at Chefs en Vedette, 123 Donegani Ave., Pointe-Claire.
The Nov. 3 forum (9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) will be held at the Arthur Seguin Park chalet, 365 St-Louis Ave., Pointe-Claire.
There is a need for affordable housing for those living in poverty and low-income earners. Let’s not forget about seniors and young professionals. When (students) graduate from school they need a place to stay in.