[homeles_ot-l] FW: Countdown - affordable housing in Ontario -HNO OttawaMediaRelease
Lynne Browne
lbrowne at ysb.on.ca
Thu Nov 25 14:10:01 EST 2010
FYI . . . the Alliance is an active member of the Ottawa branch of
Housing Network of Ontario.
Lynne Browne
Coordinator, Alliance to End Homelessness
lbrowne at ysb.on.ca <mailto:lbrowne at ysb.on.ca>
Office: 613-241-1573, ext. 205
(note this phone # is in use temporarily until Jan 2011 )
Mailing addr: 147 Besserer St., Ottawa, ON K1N 6A7
www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca <http://www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca>
NOW ATEH is on FACEBOOK HERE
<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Alliance-to-End-Homelessness-
Ottawa/136029386442398?v=wall&ref=ts> &
on TWITTER HERE @endhomelessOTT <https://twitter.com/endhomelessOTT>
From: Jennifer Wilks
Sent: November 25, 2010 8:54 AM
To: Jennifer Wilks
Subject: Countdown - affordable housing in Ontario -HNO
OttawaMediaRelease
PLEASE FIND ATTACHED A NEWS RELEASE SENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING
NETWORK OF ONTARIO - OTTAWA BRANCH
Immediate release, November 25, 2010
As winter approaches Ottawa housing advocates count down the days until
government releases affordable housing strategy
Ontario social housing waitlist grows by over 18,000 households since
2007 to 141,635
Ottawa, November 25, 2010. The Ottawa housing and homelessness
advocates along with many others across Ontario are calling on the
provincial government to keep its commitment to release its first
long-term affordable housing strategy.
"We are holding the Minister of Housing to his promise that low-income
Ontarians can expect a plan before the cold days of winter, after the
government missed their own spring deadline." says Jenn Wilks, co-chair
of the Housing Network of Ontario (HNO) Ottawa Branch. "When government
puts resources toward ensuring that people of all income levels have
housing they can afford, everyone benefits - through job creation and
healthier, more stable communities. We can't wait much longer; people
are continuing to the feel the effects of the recession and rising
costs."
Since 2007 when the housing strategy was first promised, Ottawa's
affordable housing waitlist has grown from 9,370 to 10,235 households.
The Ontario-wide waitlist has grown by over 18,000 households to 141,635
in 2010. Census data indicates that 1 in every 5 tenant households in
Ontario pays over 50% of their income on rent, placing them in danger of
becoming homeless.
Ottawa has the second most expensive rents in Ontario, as the average
monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,061, while a single
person with one child on welfare receives only $1,014. The average
wait-time for an affordable unit in the Ottawa area is between 2.5 and 4
years.
Yutaka Dirks, co-chair of the Housing Network of Ontario says,
"Investment in affordable housing through a coordinated strategy is
crucial to strengthening Ontario's economy and reducing poverty.
Ontarians expect to see a strategy that will introduce positive changes
in social housing legislation and provide for diverse, mixed-income
communities through the use of inclusionary housing policies. This
province needs a strategy that makes a commitment to build new
affordable housing annually and introduces a housing benefit program to
address unaffordable rents."
The government of Ontario committed to releasing a long-term affordable
housing strategy in 2007, and held consultations in 2009. The Housing
Network of Ontario summarized the key areas for action put forward by
policy experts and people with lived experience of poverty and in April
2010 released Building the Foundation for Ontario's Future: 5 Tests for
success of Ontario's Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy.
- 30 -
For more information about the Housing Network of Ontario and the 5
Tests, please visit: www.stableandaffordable.com
<http://www.stableandaffordable.com/>
For interviews contact:
Ottawa: Jenn Wilks 613-552-5579
Provincially: Yutaka Dirks, 416-597-5855 x.5243 or 1-866-245-4182 x.5243
A short timeline of affordable housing promises:
In the 2007 Liberal election platform, McGuinty promises to introduce a
long-term affordable housing strategy.
December 1, 2008, Poverty Reduction Strategy introduced, included
reference to affordable housing and repeated promise to develop a
long-term strategy
May 2009, Government announces it will hold public consultations with
Ontarians to develop a housing strategy.
December 31, 2009, consultations end, government promised to release
long-term affordable housing strategy in the spring of 2010.
June 16, 2010, government postpones the release of the long-term
affordable housing strategy until fall of 2010.
Housing Network of Ontario Online Hub www.stableandaffordable.com
HNO Ottawa Branch -Members
Action Logement
Alliance to End Homelsssness
Barrhaven Non-Profit
Canadian Mental Health Association
Canadian Mental Health Association
Multifaith Housing Initiative
Centretown CHC
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation
Co-operative Housing Association of Eastern Ontario (CHASEO
Council on Aging of Ottawa
Community Member
Housing Help
Housing Help
Options Bytown
Ottawa Child/Youth Housing Advocacy Initiative
Ottawa Community Housing
Pinecrest-Queensway CHC (ED Wanda MacDonald)
Somerset West Community Health Centre
The First Six Years, Pembrooke
Youth Services Bureau
Youth Services Bureau
Overbrook-Forbes Community Resource Centre
People For A Better Ottawa (PBO)
Health, Social Services Advisory Ctte (City Ottawa)
Jenn Wilks
HNO Ottawa Branch Co-Chair
Community Developer
Somerset West Community Health Centre
jwilks at swchc.on.ca <mailto:jwilks at swchc.on.ca>
613-238-8210 Ext. 2250
www.swchc.on.ca <http://www.swchc.on.ca>
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