Barrie mayor urges action to address housing affordability crisis after shocking presentation
Barrie city councillors got a shocking but not surprising reality check into the affordability challenges facing many residents looking to put a roof over their heads.
On Wednesday evening, councillors were given a presentation by the firm leading the city's Housing Needs Assessment. Phase One of the three-phase project is complete, focussing on collecting the data showcasing the affordability crisis in the city's housing market.
"If the current situation had been around when I was a kid, would I have had a place to live? The answer is probably no, and so we need to take the bull by the horns on this," Mayor Alex Nuttall said to CTV News. "I think the city needs to come to the table on policy to make it easier to build, understanding what the effects are of our policies on the development and building sector and how we can remove some of the barriers that are in place."
Amongst the presentation's key findings were the limited options in the market for moderate and low-income households for both ownership and rental properties as well as the limited supply of rentals available.
Over the last 20 years, the city has only added 350 net new units to its rental supply.
"The next time we have this presentation, there need to be solutions," the mayor said during Wednesday's meeting.
The project will now shift to phase two, focusing on action and implementation. The mayor said he hopes to have the project completed by the end of 2023 so councillors can consider the findings and recommendations as it plans the 2024 budget.
Councillors were also briefed on the County of Simcoe's Homelessness Prevention Strategy and an update from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit as it recovers from pressures forced by the pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.