Candidates agree affordable housing top issue in region

When this year began, there were nearly 4,200 households on the waiting list for affordable housing in Waterloo Region.

And when 2018 ends, there will be an even higher number of families and individuals languishing in the ever-growing, ever-slowing lineup for assistance in securing this most basic of human needs — a decent roof over their heads.

Whatever initiatives have been brought forward, whatever funding has been dedicated to helping people find a home, and while the regional government currently helps roughly 10,000 low-income households afford shelter, the need is only getting bigger in one of Canada’s most prosperous communities.

Fortunately the current municipal election campaign offers hope the situation can change in a positive way. Affordable housing is high on the political agenda this time around. While the four candidates to become the next regional chair disagree on many issues, Jan d’Ailly, Jay Aissa, Rob Deutschmann and Karen Redman agreed at a recent CBC municipal election forum that affordable housing is the most important issue in this campaign for all of our local governments. They said the cities and townships along with the region have a job to do. And if you listen to many of the candidates running for those lower-tier offices, affordable housing is a burning issue for them, too.

The trouble is, affordable housing is a complicated matter because so many governments — federal, provincial and municipal — have a role to play. Queen’s Park and Ottawa help fund affordable housing. The region is the main player in channelling those funds and providing the direct assistance for affordable living space.

The cities, like the region, can also offer developers or even homeowners incentives to provide affordable housing. The trouble is, we’re increasing the number of affordable units by the hundreds each year, while the need exists for thousands.

It’s ironic but true that the more economic success this region enjoys, the more its poorest citizens require a hand in finding and keeping a place to stay. The redevelopment renaissance transforming our urban cores is replacing cheap rental space with expensive condos.

The tent city protests in Kitchener this summer along with the rising numbers of homeless people camping out — illegally — in local parks and green spaces are sobering evidence of the downside of our otherwise enviable growth.

The citizens of this region need their municipal governments to work harder than ever with both for-profit and non-profit builders to get more affordable units in place. On a fundamental moral level, the members of a society should care for one another. But there are practical arguments for increasing the affordable housing supply so we can break the cycle of poverty that limits families and individuals, and thereby allow everyone to be a contributing member of this community.

The challenge now facing voters is to determine which candidates offer the best solutions for the affordable housing conundrum, and then mark their ballots accordingly. It’s not good enough for candidates to simply say more must be done. Voters deserve to hear detailed explanations of what’s being proposed.

Should property taxes be increased to build more affordable housing? Should another budget be trimmed and the money spent to help people pay their rent or build more housing? What happens if the unpredictable provincial government led by Premier Doug Ford cuts back on its support for affordable housing to reduce Ontario’s deficit?

The closing days of this election campaign are the time to hear more than the right sentiments. We await the right answers.