HOUSING AGAIN • BulletinNumber 101 May 1, 2007 The Housing Again
Bulletin, sponsored by Raising the Roof A monthly electronic
bulletin highlighting what people are doing to Our web sites are: Housing Again Shared Learnings on
Homelessness Raising the Roof If you have any tips for the Bulletin please e-mail: ---------------------------------------------------
Feature: Dealing with
Community Opposition to Affordable
Housing
Community Profile: 2007
Innovation Award Winner - Les Maisons Transitionnelles
03
News Briefs: New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings on
Homelessness; UN-HABITAT Recognizes Critical Role of
Youth ----------------------------------------------- Dealing with Community Opposition to Affordable
Housing Convincing governments—municipal, provincial and federal—to fund enough affordable housing in Canada is an ongoing struggle for communities, especially in the absence of a national affordable housing strategy. This challenge, however, is often only half the battle. Affordable housing developers, including municipalities, private developments and community groups quite often face resistance and hostility from neighbours and ratepayers groups during the planning stages of their projects. Community opposition to affordable housing development, known as NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard), can often be a major impediment, which developers and community leaders are facing head on. Toronto City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti believes the City of Toronto has found a way to avoid the often inevitable community opposition to affordable housing development. Councillor Mammoliti is the chair of the Toronto Affordable Housing Committee, a standing committee the city created to facilitate the creation of more affordable housing units—at least 1,000 units per year as promised by Mayor David Miller. “Toronto can be an example for the rest of the country because this committee is cutting through all the not-in-my-backyard objections—most especially from the local councillors who often stall and sabotage new affordable housing,” Mammoliti told Housing Again. The responsibilities of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Committee include making recommendations on affordable housing policies, such as land-use and social policy, which facilitate creating new affordable housing and maintaining the existing supply. The committee also allocates funding and financing to successful proponents. Perhaps most importantly, Mammoliti said, the committee has the power, upon the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, to take appropriate action when affordable housing planning applications experience “unnecessary and exceptional delays” in the development review process. Toronto’s committee has approved this year’s first round of proposals, including 10 proposals for more than 800 units of affordable housing, and Mammoliti promises they will approve two more rounds this fiscal year. The recommendations, however, haven’t made it through council, but the councillor appears confident there won’t be any NIMBYism amongst his peers. “Toronto has decided it will not even entertain NIMBY arguments,” Mammoliti said. As Toronto appears to have found its own unique way to circumvent NIMBYism, other communities across Canada are also developing their own solutions and resources. There are ways, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, that municipalities can reduce the length of the approval process for affordable housing. CMHC has developed several resources including Fast Tracking of Affordable Housing, Education and Awareness Programs to Combat NIMBY Attitudes, and Streamlining the Development Approval Process. The HomeComing Community Choice Coalition has also developed a guide, now in its second printing, called Yes in My Backyard to help affordable housing developers deal with NIMBYism. The tool kit is an excellent resource for housing developers to help them understand what to expect, prepare for the community consultation process and navigate community opposition. Some of their ideas include:
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NEWS
BRIEFS:
New on Raising the Roof’s Shared Learnings on Homelessness Web
site St. Jude Community Homes in Toronto, ON provides
permanent housing for adults with mental
illness who are able to live independently. Iris House in Windsor, ON provides supportive housing with a focus on those living with mental illness.
UN-HABITAT
Recognizes Critical Role of Youth At the Youth Assembly of the
World Urban Forum in Vancouver last year 500 youth delegates representing
hundreds of youth-led organizations recommended the establishment of a Fund for
Youth-Led Development, as part of their Youth Engagement Strategy. Under the sponsorship of the Government of Norway,
the UN-Habitat Governing Council decided at
its meeting in Nairobi last month to establish a youth fund. The fund will
be an important mechanism for ensuring the sustainability and expansion of the
agency’s efforts to support youth-led
development. --------------------------------------------------- The Housing
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