[homeles_ot-l] Housing and Section 37 of the Planning Act: another Housing Answer

[Ray Sullivan]

Friends & colleagues,

We all care about affordable housing and homelessness, and from time to time we have the opportunity to change this system that keeps people down.

All it will take is just 2 minutes of your time.

Last year we were able to take advantage of the provincial upload to launch the successful Housing Answer campaign: with support from Jim Watson we got $14 million per year for housing and poverty reduction.

We have another important opportunity to help the City increase the size of its housing budget without putting any pressure on taxes or the city's operating budget.

This year, the opportunity is Section 37 of the Planning Act; think of it as the Housing Answer, Part 2.

In short, Section 37 allows Cities to extract payment from developers in return for height or density increases.  The City of Ottawa is considering policies that would implement this opportunity (see attached draft guidelines).  We need to make sure housing is part of the picture.

But there isn't much time: the City's Planning Committee will decide on this at its January 10 meeting.

Let's not lose this chance. We must write in now!

Please take the opportunity to e-mail jim.watson at ottawa.ca<mailto:jim.watson at ottawa.ca>  or peter.hume at ottawa.ca<mailto:peter.hume at ottawa.ca>  to say:

1)       you support implementation of Section 37
2)       the City should allocate 50% of the value of all "community benefit" contributions to affordable housing

Think of this as a Christmas act: a quick e-mail to help reduce poverty and homelessness through affordable housing.

2 minutes that could bring dividends for decades.

Best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Raymond Sullivan
Executive Director
Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation
613-234-4065 extension 233
www.ccochousing.org<http://ccochousing.org/>

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