Exploring the Regional Community Affordable Housing Action Plan
Wednesday, November 13, 4:30-6:00 PM
One of the Institute’s four priority areas is Social Finance & Housing.
On November 13th, community members, housing professionals, county and municipal leaders came together for a virtual event hosted by The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay’s Social Finance and Housing Group to explore the draft Regional Community Affordable Housing Action Plan. With over 70 live attendees, including mayors, councillors and senior staff representing Grey, Bruce, and Simcoe counties, the launch of the plan marks a significant milestone in addressing the affordable housing crisis in our region.
This Plan is the culmination of more than two years of collaborative learning, community discussions, and research by the Social Finance & Housing Group. It proposed a “whole community approach” to align resources held by municipalities, counties and community in a collaborative effort, creating innovation in our local housing system that will ensure and adequate supply of affordable housing.
Highlights of the Event
Key Components of the Draft Plan:
The plan emphasized two integrated spheres in collaborative activity:
- Local government: County and municipal leadership to focus resources, data and local development processes on the affordable housing units we need.
- Community: Housing organizations and citizens to increase to increase our supply of non-market housing, focusing on scaling through collaboration and community wealth strategies to providing opportunities for local investment in local housing requirements.
County Presentations: Opportunities for Alignment with the Plan and County Strategies for housing
Attendees gained valuable insights from county experts on Simcoe, Grey and Bruce County strategies for affordable housing and the opportunities for alignment with the proposed Community Plan. The similarities and differences in these three plans creates both opportunities to explore innovative strategies in other parts of the region and the opportunity to think about collaborative approaches.
Dynamic Discussion from a Community Perspective
In addition to County presentations, community speakers shared perspectives as a nonmarket housing provider, a municipal councilor and a grassroots community housing engagement group.
- Sylvia Statham (Lutheran Social Services) highlighted the role of nonprofits and charities in affordable housing, Carol Merton (Owen Sound City Councillor ) spoke of the need for municipal leadership to work with communities to address housing needs and Nola Marion (community housing advocate, Township of Southgate) spoke of the essential roles of community advocacy for adequate housing, the strength of grassroots engagement and the power of local collaboration.
Key Takeaways
- Collaboration is Critical: Multi-sector partnerships and regional collaboration are the way forward to for scaling solutions.
- Innovation Matters: Mechanisms like land trusts, community bonds, municipal development incentives and support offer new opportunities to unlock our affordable housing potential.
- Data-Driven Action: Access to robust data and planning tools are critical to matching housing development decisions to community affordability requirements.
Next Steps
The Institute is committed to building out the Regional Community Affordable Housing Action Plan by bringing the community together to “roll up our sleeves” in 2025 through follow-up discussion to develop an implementation plan.
Thank you to all attendees, speakers, and contributors for making this event a success. Together, we are building a more resilient, equitable, and inclusive region.
Let’s continue this important work to ensure everyone in our community has access to affordable housing.
We believe that Southern Georgian Bay can meet today’s needs of the planet, its people, and economic vitality…without compromising the needs of future generations.
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