Invitation to a Townhall on Affordable Housing
As a person who cares about the future of our community, you are invited to a townhall meeting in the Golden Lake Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 6. We hope to inspire local people, municipal officers, potential investors, local businesspeople, and others to take action to create housing and to show municipal candidates how they can help.
The Affordable Housing Alliance of the Ottawa Valley (AHAOV) was formed during the summer to promote and develop affordable housing in the area. We are working to educate municipal candidates and staff about how they can help create affordable housing. This meeting is one of five being held across the County. With support from NAW Township, AHAOV has organized the meeting. AHAOV is also arranging townhalls in MV Township (Sept. 21), the City of Pembroke (Sept. 27), KHR Township (Oct. 4) and BV Township (Oct. 5).
With real estate prices ballooning and rental housing disappearing, affordable housing for young families, ordinary workers, low-income seniors, and others has become a crisis in every community. Although it’s usually seen as an urban problem, the housing crisis is hitting the rural Ottawa Valley hard too. We’re losing a lot of young people from our communities, and it’s part of why it’s hard for local businesses to find workers.
At the meeting, people will have to opportunity to introduce themselves and be asked to tell their stories and share their concerns regarding the housing situation in our community. Then, there will be a short presentation developed by AHAOV laying out some of the ways people in other locations have created affordable housing. A big emphasis will be on the important ways municipalities can help in the process and what people in the community and municipal politicians can do.
Sources of financing and how other communities have paid for new housing will be a main topic. It seems daunting, especially with construction costs as high as they are, but there is some public financing available. And we believe there is loyal capital right here in the community, people and businesses who would like to invest in the long-term health of our communities. We will need strong partners to address the crisis.
Information: Ish Theilheimer, 613-757-2223 email: AffordableHousingAllianceOV@gmail.com