United Way Perth Huron (UWPH) is asking for public support for a petition aimed at addressing affordable housing.
UWPH Executive Director Ryan Erb says the Speak Up for Community Housing Petition is calling on both the provincial and federal government for more aid to help solve the ongoing affordable housing crisis.
"So what we're after here is not only to encourage people to be concerned about this issue and speak up and understand that there are people in our community that are struggling, we want a very tangible result where we actually see increased funding for all levels of affordable housing right here in Perth and Huron," Erb explained.
Erb says the petition will be sent to Canadian Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson and Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack later this fall.
Ultimately, Erb says they're asking for more support from the federal and provincial governments to specifically help support local organizations that are trying to make a difference.
"What we're really looking for is increased action on funds that are available to not-for-profit organizations, cooperatives and also the municipal social services, the municipalities that are operating affordable housing in the communities," added Erb.
A media release from UWPH highlights that "most community housing in Perth-Huron is owned and operated by the County of Huron and the City of Stratford. The units were primarily built through federal and provincial programs in the 1960s and ’70s. Wait times to access a unit are long, often stretching into years." Erb is hopeful that more government commitment will help change a dire situation.
"We've been not spending enough money on increasing our affordable stock, and are way behind other G7 countries. We're so far behind here locally, and across the province and the country, that the number of affordable units are actually in decline even with all the new starts that are happening," Erb lamented.
While addressing homelessness is of course an ongoing priority, Erb points out that this petition is also about addressing the struggles people are experiencing to pay to live.
"People are just tired of being stretched to the limit. They're really struggling with the affordability around things like food and other things that you sort of have to sacrifice in order to pay the rent. So, what we're here to say is that we wanna make sure life is more affordable. The reality is, there are many people in our region who can’t afford the rents and prices on the market today. That’s why we need serious new investments in community housing owned by non-profits, co-ops, and the public sector, housing that’s truly affordable for struggling families," Erb concluded.
You can sign the petition by visiting perthhuron.unitedway.ca/speakupforhousing.