Urban areas are particularly well suited for hosting more affordable housing supply
The mayors of Canada’s largest urban areas have argued that cities are key components of viable housing affordability solutions.
In its “Big City Mayors’ Caucus” event, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) said that cities are especially well placed to “lead a strong, inclusive, and sustainable recovery.”
“This pandemic has emphasized how much community matters to our economy and our daily lives. It is in our cities that millions of Canadians live, work, learn, and raise a family,” the FCM said.
“Big-city mayors are focused on the priorities people deeply care about and fixing the housing crisis is top of mind.”
This could be primarily achieved through boosting the right type of housing supply – that is, supply that a majority of Canadian can actually pay for, the FCM said.
“Ensuring people have access to many kinds of affordable homes is a vital component of economic growth and is key to Canada’s recovery. Mayors all agree; more needs to be done to fix the housing crisis,” the advocacy group said.
Read more: Supply issues in Canada – what impact are they having?
The FCM said that through its caucus, the group will be discussing effective approaches to the perennial supply issue with Dominic LeBlanc, minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities.
“Getting it right on housing is critical for people who need a place to call home and to see their communities flourish, and it is a fundamental ingredient for liveable and resilient cities. As such, progress on housing also needs to be connected to progress on transit, reducing emissions, and making sure we have the core infrastructure in place to meet our cities and residents’ needs,” the FCM said.
