How to provide affordable housing

Re: Give churches a new mission — Feb. 7

Your editorial suggesting that churches should develop affordable housing reinforces the assumption that the development industry has no responsibility to build affordability into their projects. Even the proposed provincial inclusionary zoning regulations assume that affordability is only a government responsibility — not that of the development industry.

In Canada, adequate housing is a human right. As the development industry is entrusted to be major participants in building our cities, it should ensure that their projects are inclusive of all groups of people.

Locally, the $800-million LRT investment has been totally paid by the public. As presently structured, the benefits of this investment and the increased land and development value through rezoning are flowing to the development industry and the affluent who can afford to participate. The industry certainly has the room through this increased value to include affordability but chooses to privatize this benefit.

As the development industry is not addressing affordability, the onus is on government to establish regulations requiring the industry to include affordability in the projects.

Cities now have the power to do this through the site specific zoning that applies to these projects. And when the province establishes strong inclusionary zoning, cities can create the required broader affordability zoning structures.

John Brouwer Waterloo