48 months: 24 of those to take bold action on affordable housing. Such is the mantle Calgary voters can hand to incoming members of Calgary City Council on Monday.
When we select a mayor and councilors (officially, as of Monday, we’re done with the outdated and sexist Alderman language!) we can choose to vote for those who will prioritize the development of a true spectrum of housing in our community.
For the vulnerable women served by the YWCA, affordable housing must be Priority 1 on the agenda of the new Calgary City Council.
In recent months, the length of stay in both the YWCA Sheriff King Home shelter for women fleeing family violence and YWCA Mary Dover House (for women experiencing poverty and homelessness) has been stretching ever longer.
For many women who are working in low wage or unstable jobs, or subsisting on social assistance, a clean, safe apartment in Calgary costs two or three times what they have the means to pay.
As such, the YWCA took the opportunity this week to host the first in a new series of In Conversation events focused on communicating necessary social changes with our donors and supporters.
This week’s event was hosted by Jim Dinning and featured a panel consisting of Adam Legge, President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Amie Blanchette, Director, Government Affairs, Canadian Homebuilders Association – Calgary region and Karen Orser, YWCA’s Manager, Community Housing and Poverty Initiatives. The topic of the day was the social and economic need for housing, the barriers to creating it and a provocative roundtable discussion about solutions.
Consensus in the room was clear: we need a city council committed to creating a policy and tax environment that will enable more units to be available quickly. This starts – but certainly does not end – with the permissibility of secondary suites across the city.
We look forward to bringing creative solutions to the table with the new council and to holding them accountable.
As you prepare to vote this weekend, please consider candidates positions on affordable housing and think of the needs of women looking for a roof over their heads and a door to lock behind them.
