Recommendation: That, on the
recommendation of the Director of Intergovernmental and Community Liaison,
the following motion BE ADOPTED in support of FCM’s National Housing Campaign
– Fixing Canada’s Housing Crunch.
“Development of a New Long-Term Federal
Plan to Fix Canada’s Housing Crunch
WHEREAS a stable and secure housing system
that creates and maintains jobs and allows for a range of living options is
essential to attracting new workers, meeting the needs of young families and
supporting seniors and our most vulnerable citizens;
AND WHEREAS the high cost of housing is the
most urgent financial issue facing Canadians with one in four people paying
more than they can afford for housing, and mortgage debt held by Canadians
now standing at just over $1.1 trillion;
AND WHEREAS housing costs and, as the Bank
of Canada notes, household debt, are undermining Canadians’ personal
financial security, while putting our national economy at risk;
AND WHEREAS those who cannot afford to
purchase a home rely on the short supply of rental units, which is driving up
rental costs and making it hard to house workers in regions experiencing
strong economic activity;
AND WHEREAS an inadequate supply of
subsidized housing for those in need is pushing some of the most vulnerable
Canadians on to the street, while $1.7 billion annually in federal
investments in social housing have begun to expire;
AND WHEREAS coordinated action is required
to prevent housing issues from being further offloaded onto local governments
and align the steps local governments have already taken with regard to
federal/provincial/territorial programs and policies;
AND WHEREAS the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM) has launched a housing campaign, “Fixing Canada’s Housing
Crunch,” calling on the Federal Government to increase housing options for
Canadians and to work with all orders of government to develop a long-term
plan for Canada’s housing future;
AND WHEREAS the FCM has asked its member
municipalities to pass a Council resolution supporting the campaign;
AND WHEREAS our community has continuing
housing needs, such as the gap between the market price of a housing unit and
the price that someone in housing need is able to pay, the different and
varying housing needs of an aging population and the ability to attract
private sector investment in housing, that can only be met through the kind
of long-term planning and investment made possible by Federal leadership;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Municipal
Council of the City of London endorses the FCM housing campaign and urges the
Minister of Employment and Social Development to develop a long-term plan for
housing that puts core investments on solid ground, increases predictability,
protects Canadians from the planned expiry of $1.7 billion in social housing
agreements and ensures a healthy stock of affordable rental housing for
Canadians;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this
resolution be sent to the Minister noted above, to the Minister of Municipal
Affairs & Housing, The Hnourable Linda Jeffrey, to London Members of
Parliament and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the FCM and to the
Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
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