SARAH WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

During the March 14^th Regular Council Meeting, Councillor Janice Maynard put forth a resolution seeking support for the Eastern Ontario Warden’s Caucus (EOWC) 7 in 7 Regional Housing Plan. The plan was brought before council earlier in the month.

The EOWC intends to implement a regional plan with a bold focus that will address the housing crisis throughout Eastern Ontario, where the average wait time for community housing is five years but can be as much as ten.

As per Maynard’s resolution, the 7 in 7 plan will include a regional model that accounts for cost savings, local flexibility and sustainability through joint procurement and design, incentivization, municipal coordination, land use planning, long term operational models and leveraging partnerships.

The plan will deliver 7000 new affordable community rentals in seven years. As well, the plan will incentivize 21,000 attainable market rate units from the private and non-profit sectors.

The resolution urges all orders of government, private, and non-profit partners to fill the housing gap by collaborating, innovating and investing in filling the rural housing gap. It will be forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Premier of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), and the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC).

Councillor Brad Nieman questioned whether the municipality would be required to contribute money for this plan.

“Remember when representatives from EOWC made their presentation and they said most of the money they hoped would come from upper levels of government? I’m just trying to figure out…if my memory is right, is that where the money is coming from or is the municipality on the hook for some,” he inquired.

CAO Marcia Wallace confirmed the money would largely be coming from the upper levels of government, but that the municipality could provide other useful tools.

“The proposal EOWC put forward to two upper levels of government would see them paying a portion of funds required, some investment of private sector and other institutions possibly,” said Wallace. “It would need a municipal contribution but that could be in the form of land or development charge incentives or other kinds of tools.”

Councillor Phil St-Jean offered support for the resolution, noting the federal and provincial governments have offered little in the way of community housing for several decades.

“It’s clear the federal and provincial governments have dropped the ball for over 30 years. I’m very much in support,” said St-Jean.

The resolution received unanimous support from councillors in a recorded vote.