I apologize for not presenting all the questions and comments at the end of Wednesday’s Climate Momentum talk posted below. There were female speakers, but unfortunately they were at the back, and I couldn’t capture their questions from my position at the front. –Sharon Collingwood
Framz Hartman of the Alliance for a Liveable Ontario joined us to speak about the ALO’s Five Ways Home Campaign. Hartman has a Ph.D in political science, so he could have been really stuffy about his topic, but instead he used straight talk and good examples. He really drove home the point that housing has to be improved with the consent and support of the people, and for that to happen, people must understand what they will gain from better and fairer community housing. I particularly liked the pictures of his own laneway home. It isn’t ugly, it isn’t cramped, it’s affordable, and it offers the ability to stay in the community. Makes sense.
See the entire talk by Franz Hartman:
* Part I: Five Ways Home * Part II: Why do these housing problems exist?
A freewheeling discussion followed the talk:
Franz Hartman laid out the problems of increasing density in housing. He understands people’s fears of the destruction that come to a community through bad planning, and he argues that we need to understand how good density is achieved, get the right people elected, and ask them to implement the right policies.
Adam Betteridge, the City’s Director of Building and Planning, had an eye-opening response, describing the difficulty the City faces in responding to the demands of residents. He was quite passionate about his profession, and expressed some frustration at the obstacles he faces.
Ian Morton responded just as passionately with a call to all of us to get out and vote, and to get others to vote as well. This is how we will resolve the problems we face.
Rob Ritz rounded out the discussion with an architect’s view of how to promote better community, and he gave a stamp of approval for the laneway home presented in Hartman’s talk.
Thank you to The Parlour Inn, Stratford, who support Climate Momentum’s quarterly mixers by giving us a pleasant meeting space where we can put the fun back into politics!
