Councillor Ravencroft informed Council on feedback received during the engagement process completed on four plots of City owned land identified as potential locations for affordable housing. The parcels of land were 245 Forest Road, 80-90 Empire Avenue, 375 Waterford Bridge Road, and 28 Eric Street, and the What We Heard document summarizes this feedback.
At this point in the meeting, the Mayor entered the Council Chambers and assumed the role of Chair.
Councillor Burton stated that she had concerns surrounding the preliminary engagement process, and asked Staff for their point of view. Housing Staff responded that while there was some confusion with undertaking engagement without a development proposal, overall, they appreciated the engagement and found it to be beneficial to collect ideas from stakeholders, both positive and negative. Councillor Burton remarked that the engagement processes galvanized opposition to any project, with community groups coming together to oppose development on the sites. Instead of dissolving the fears associated with affordable housing, this intensified negativity surrounding the projects. Councillor Burton suggested that going forward some sketches or ideas of what could be developed in these areas, such as community gardens and building designs, may be a way of combatting resistance to affordable housing development.
The Mayor noted that there is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to affordable housing and felt as though the engagement process allowed the City to better explain the concept of affordable housing and what it could mean to the public. It was beneficial to have a high-level introduction to the concept before adding the details, and it allowed concerns to be expressed and questions to be answered. The Mayor also advised that more preliminary work seems to be required upfront for affordable housing projects to qualify for funding, and that institutions providing funding are looking for shovel-ready projects.
Both Councillor Korab and Councillor Ridgeley stated that due to the concerns of the constituents of Ward 3 and Ward 5, they would not be supporting the redevelopment of land at 375 Waterford Bridge Road. Councillor Korab suggested that as the Provincial Government had several sites that could be redeveloped for affordable housing they should be involved in the conversation. Councillor Hickman observed that transportation and planning must also be taken into consideration when looking at land for affordable housing. Councillor Ellsworth believed that in dealing with issues of engagement, the public perception was that the decisions had already been made, and that the City was just "dotting the i's" during the engagement process. The City should engage about the land in a generalized way, rather than having a predetermined mind set. Councillor Burton noted that people are reluctant to support the development of green space, and that often the reutilization of existing, vacant, space is suggested, which is costly and at times unfeasible. There needs to be a way to get a "Yes" from the public on these projects and the engagement process may require additional evaluation.
Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor discussed the benefits of public engagement, noting that some great ideas have come out of the process and that the feedback helps to shape our communities. Council must take information from the public into account when making decisions, and engagement provides some of the best information. Having diversity in our neighbourhoods is enriching and further education may be required when it comes to the benefits of affordable housing. While acknowledging the work being done by Staff, the Deputy Mayor agreed that the current process may need reevaluation and suggested that Engagement Staff undertake a review to determine if there are improvements to be made.