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Building the Future
CALGARY: The Canada
West Foundation today released a
discussion paper laying out 10 steps
Canadian cities, large and small, should
follow to help solve growing homelessness
in Canada. The need for more
affordable housing, writes Senior Policy
Karen Wilkie, the author of Building the
Future, is becoming increasingly evident.
In some cases, affordable housing is
required to house low income wage earners,
people with disabilities, or university
students. In other cases, affordable
housing is needed to house growing numbers
of homeless persons, seniors, or seasonal
workers. The affordable
housing issue is not new, Wilkie writes.
However, growing demand, a scarcity of
supply and a sense of urgency are
elevating the issue on the public agenda,
and affordable housing has emerged as one
of the greatest public policy challenges
facing Canadian communities. The factors
contributing to the growing demand for
affordable housing include the rise in
housing costs (both home ownership and
rental prices), the general rise in the
cost of living (e.g., utilities, food and
transportation), record low vacancy rates,
and the growing gap between high and low
wage earners. The scarcity of supply is
explained by condominium conversions, a
lack of new rental units being built,
funding cuts to government programs,
neighbourhood gentrification, and urban
population growth. Cumulatively, these
factors are putting a lot of strain on
Canadian housing. To address
affordable housing shortfalls and meeting
the needs of individuals Wilkie writes
that identifying the need for affordable
housing is just a first step. In order to
effectively meet the affordable housing
needs in a community, a number of
considerations must be taken into account,
including: To read the rest of
the media release, visit http://www.cwf.ca/V2/cnt/release_200710191508.php To download a copy
of Building the Future visit
http://www.cwf.ca/V2/cnt/publication_200710181055.php For more
information: Gary
Slywchuk Troy Media
Corporation 403-835-8192 National
Coalition for the
Homeless The
National Coalition for the Homeless,
founded in 1984, is a national network of
people who are currently experiencing or
who have experienced homelessness,
activists and advocates, community-based
and faith-based service providers, and
others committed to a single mission. That
mission, our common bond, is to end
homelessness. We are committed to creating
the systemic and attitudinal changes
necessary to prevent and end homelessness.
At the same time, we work to meet the
immediate needs of people who are
currently experiencing homelessness or who
are at risk of doing so. We take as our
first principle of practice that people
who are currently experiencing
homelessness or have formerly experienced
homelessness must be actively involved in
all of our work. * November
21: The Bringing America Home Act was
reintroduced into Congress by
Representative Julia Carson (D-IN) on
November 16, 2005. * November
22: Letter to Senator Reed from the
Partners and Colleagues of the National
Coalition for the Homeless and the
National Alliance to End
Homelessness. CONTAct
us: National Coalition for the Homeless
2201 P St
NW | Washington, DC 20037 Phone:
202.462.4822 | Fax: 202.462.4823
Email:
info@nationalhomeless.org.
Helping
Hand for Cote d'Ivoire
Villagers: \About
Cross-Cultural
Solutions Congratulations
to Mighty Jambo Acrobats
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Canada
West Foundation lays out 10-step
affordable housing solution