'Housing crisis' in southwestern Ontario sparks one-day conference for solutions
Regional planners, politicians, developers and others look for solutions to problem of affordable housing.
A one-day conference was held in London Thursday to find solutions to what organizers are calling a housing crisis in southwestern Ontario. Two hundred people from across the region gathered in search of solutions to improving the stock of affordable housing.
"There is a big appetite for discussing these issues," said Paul Beaton, Director of Human Services in Oxford County on CBC's Afternoon Drive.
The conference took a broader look at the housing issue facing communities across the southwest and in many other parts of the province.
"Affordable housing to us is across the whole housing continuum, from homelessness and transitional housing to social housing, the private rental market and home ownership," said Beaton.
The crisis is making finding housing difficult for all walks of life, according to Beaton. From millennials to seniors, there are challenges finding a home or an apartment unit that is affordable.
"Generally we're talking about affordability in terms of are you spending 30% of your income on your shelter and we know that's not the case for many people living in Ontario," he said.
"With an aging population we'll see less and less available for affordable units. What we see with our children leaving the nest, it's becoming increasingly difficult to move out because of the affordability factor."
In Oxford County, the average income is $68,000 a year. The average one-bedroom apartment unit goes for $1,000 a month. For those on disability, Beaton said, their income is $1,100 per month, so finding independent housing is almost impossible. Another factor is tougher rules to qualify for a mortgage making it harder to get into the housing market.
"It's not unique to Oxford County," said Beaton. The same situation exists in London, Windsor, Hamilton, and other areas."
Searching for solutions
Increasing the supply is not necessarily the answer.
"To say we just need to build more is a misnomer," said Beaton. "We need to build across the range of the housing continuum so we'll be looking for planners and politicians and the building community to come together for ideas to make that happen."
The solutions will involve reconsidering municipal policies, looking at new models for development and recognizing millennials don't necessarily want to buy a house and move to the suburbs.
"Historically, people have moved through the housing continuum. You leave your parents' house and go into your first rental unit, save some equity and then buy your first home," said Beaton.
Now, younger people are looking to live in downtown condos and not buy a car.
One model being given a close look is called Mirvish+Gehry in Toronto. It includes two skyscrapers and shopping with a range of affordability, said Beaton.
"It's not where you can point and say 'that's where poor people on social assistance live'. I think that's a model we hope to duplicate in Oxford."
"It builds a stronger community and it has the quality of life that people are looking for in an urban setting."
One factor will be getting more community buy in. Beaton believes that will happen as more people experience the housing pinch either directly or by watching their loved ones, be them young adults who graduate with a degree and get a job but can't afford a place to live, or older parents who can't downsize.
"It needs to be personal to you," he said. "In the 1950's we declared housing to be a basic human right in Canada but the realization coming up now is that it's not being fulfilled."
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