Quote from Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services:
“Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) was honoured to take part in providing advice to the Mayor’s Housing Task Force.
In Peterborough, a disproportionate number of Indigenous people experience homelessness and struggle to secure safe and affordable housing. We worked with local Indigenous community organizations to bring forward recommendations that address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous people living in Peterborough.
OAHS looks forward to the City of Peterborough’s commitment to co-developing formal engagement practices with Indigenous partners as well as ensuring the sustainability of existing programs and services. Relationship-building with Indigenous partners is essential to support Indigenous-led housing solutions that truly meet the needs of the local Indigenous community.”
Article Published on November 5, 2024 by kawarthaNOW
“Build, build, build.”
That was the often-repeated message from Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal as he announced the release of the 15-recommendation report of the Mayor’s Task Force for Housing Creation at a media event on Tuesday (November 5) in Peterborough’s East City.
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Several members of the task force were at the event, including Ashburnham Realty principal Paul Bennett and Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region CEO Susan Zambonin, as well as city councillors Joy Lachica, Alex Bierk, Lesley Parnell, Keith Riel, and Kevin Duguay and city staff.
The mayor announced the creation of the task force last October, with a selection of builders and housing development professionals tasked in January with recommending specific actions the City of Peterborough can take to meet the provincial government’s housing target for Peterborough of constructing 4,700 new housing units by 2031.
Along with Bennett and Zambonin, other members of the task force are Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services policy director Chelsea Combot, Peterborough Homes principal Brian Fenton, Atria Development principal Hans Jain, Peterborough Housing Corporation former CEO Hope Lee, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Home Builders Association executive Rebecca Schillemat, and AON Inc. president and CEO Brad Smith.
Mayor Leal served as chair of the task force with councillor Duguay as vice chair, and councillors Riel and Dave Haacke providing input.
The recommendations of the task force’s report fall under three themes: speeding up development, cutting building costs, and fostering partnerships.
Mayor Leal addressed the report’s first two recommendations at Tuesday’s announcement.
“For multi-residential housing that meets a minimum unit threshold, we would guarantee an approval timeline of one year, from pre-construction to full land use approval, that would include both the planning, and site plan, and so on,” he said.
(Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW)
