In this newsletter:
- Sustainable Attainable Affordable Housing – December 1, 4:30-6pm – Register now!
- Highlights from the Mayors event discussing the Changing Role of Municipalities
- Community Foundation Grey Bruce hosts Vital Conversation on Housing – December 9
The Our Sustainable Future seven-part series is continuing to focus on developing a regional vision in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11 – Make communities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Housing is at the top of the milestone list for reaching this goal.
Part 7 – Sustainable, Attainable, Affordable Housing – It Affects Us All!
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 4:30-6pm
Register now!
We need an “all-hands-on-deck” regional approach to tackle the lack of housing for broad segments of our population. Young people working in the service industry, professionals trying to buy their first home, and seniors needing rental accommodations cannot find a place to live that they can afford.
A challenge for too long, the question for all of us is: Where do we want to be in 5 years on this issue? The housing crisis is impacting the vitality of our communities now.
Panellists:
Marg Scheben-Edey, Vice Chair, Collingwood Affordable Housing Task Force and Chair, Regional Housing Committee, Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness. She will present on housing needs in the region and data from the recently published reports from these two committees, emphasizing the need across the population.
Robert Voigt, Director, Development Services, Meaford will highlight planning processes, challenges and opportunities for municipal and builder communities, benefits of a regional approach, what needs to change and what levers are available.
Andrea Nemtin, Executive Director, Social Innovation Canada will present on financial strategies from the recently published report on the Financialization of Housing, done with CHMC, MaRS Discovery District, and Centre for Social Innovation.
Shirley Keaveney, Deputy Mayor, Meaford will talk about social finance tools, including community loan funds, community bonds, and land trusts, which can help to increase the housing supply. She will also highlight our region’s participation in a national housing lab, where innovative ideas are being developed and tested across the county to accelerate progress.
Audience: Municipal leaders and staff, business owners, service providers, investors, developers, and residents from across the region. Lack of housing is not a special interest issue – it is affecting us all.
New Summary Notes – Mayors Discuss the Changing Role of Municipalities
Summary notes now accompany the recordings of the previous events in the Our Sustainable Future series. These summaries provide a quick refresher on the ideas from speakers and from audience participants for what our communities would like to see put into action.
Part 4 from the series – The Changing Role of Municipalities – is now posted.
Previous summaries posted include:
- Part 1 – Why Build a Case for a Sustainable Future?
- Part 2 – Regional CAOs discuss Pressing Issues, Alignment, and Innovative Solutions
- Part 3 – Building the Next Economy – with Tonya Surman and Toby Heaps
Notes from Part 5 will be uploaded to our website in the next couple of weeks.
Community Foundation Grey Bruce will be hosting an online interactive Vital Conversation® on December 9, 2021. The goal of this Vital Conversation is to give participants a deeper understanding of the housing crisis through learning and sharing new perspectives on the issue. This event is supported by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. and is mounted with the support of community partner, The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay.
The online session will be held from 4 to 6 pm on Thursday, December 9 and will be facilitated by Melri Wright and Mike Wright of Ledge Leadership. The meeting will take a World Café style sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action built on the notion of group intelligence. Participants will hear lightning talks from four inspiring local guest speakers and will have the chance to participate in smaller group discussions on relevant topics. Input from participants will be reflected in a Vital Focus® Report on Housing being prepared by the Foundation set for release in early 2022. Vital Signs® is Canada’s most extensive community-driven data program.
To register for this Vital Conversation, visit www.communityfoundationgreybruce.com.