NEWS RELEASE
INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN GEORGIAN BAY
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The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay (SGB) is launching this year’s regional discussion series with a virtual event called Unpacking the Southern Georgian Bay Affordable Housing Toolkit on Wednesday, May 3, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
One of our four priority areas is affordable housing, which is currently the greatest challenge affecting the sustainability of our towns.
The SGB Affordable Housing Toolkit is the product of 18 months of work by our social finance and housing group. This project grew out of an original study group focused on pandemic recovery, the lack of awareness of community wealth-building strategies and social finance tools in our rural communities, and included a study area of participating communities from Collingwood to Owen Sound.
The focus for the study group shifted to housing as the local housing crisis was exacerbated by in-migration from neighbouring cities bringing gentrification and investment in multiple properties to our traditionally low-income areas. This trend has magnified the problems experienced by much of Canada as a result of the financialization of housing and is having a huge impact on affordable housing in our region.
As more and more of us are experiencing the impact of affordable housing in our families, we all need to learn and do more to ensure a supply of affordable housing for the people who live and work in our communities. Residents, and business, nonprofit, government, and philanthropic leaders are leaning in to learn more about the housing crisis, the shifting role of local government, the need for data to identify the scope of this issue, and how to access capital and develop the partnerships required to solve this problem.
To unpack the SGB Affordable Housing Toolkit features, authors of the toolkit and will explore:
- our community affordability challenge
- the connections between issues like housing and our labour force
- moving NIMBYism to YIMBYism
- Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Communities as a good framework for goal setting, alignment, and data gathering, and
- how to work together on strategies, collaborative projects, access to capital, and measure our success.
SPEAKERS:
- Marilyn Struthers, toolkit volunteer facilitator, the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay
- Jack Vanderkooy, board chair, Habitat for Humanity SGB; Vice-Chair Collingwood Affordable Housing Task Force
- Marg Scheben-Edey, housing advocate, Member of Regional and Town of Collingwood Affordable Housing Task Forces
- Liz Buckton, MCIP, RPP, senior policy planner, County of Grey
- Peggy McIntosh, vice-president, Meaford Chamber of Commerce; Retired Realtor, Royal LePage Locations North; and member, Meaford Rotary Club Godfrey Apartments Committee
Your voice is important! The toolkit’s call to action is something we need to work on, together. We hope that you will join this important discussion and participate in the question and answer period and on the chat. Let’s create collaborative, innovative solutions to our housing challenge.
Join us and participate in the question and answer period with our speakers and on the chat.
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.
Please subscribe to the Institute’s newsletter, stay connected, and receive updates on events and collaborative projects at www.tisgb.com. Register for the May 3 virtual event here.
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