Feds & Province funding housing upgrades
A provincial press release lists almost 20 senior and other affordable housing locations that will receive funds for renovations. These are:
- Brunswick Tower: $356,273.60
- Crown Street: $155,087.04
- Jenny's Springs Housing Co-operative: $128,000
- Market SquareTower: $1,120,433.68
- Province of NB (Department of Social Development - Saint John): $5, 776
- Province of NB (Department of Social Development - Hampton): $257,047.77
- Province of NB (Department of Social Development - Saint John): $209,900
- Rural and Native Housing - Kingston: $5,900
- Rural and Native Housing - Lakeside: $6,350
- Rural and Native Housing - Mayfield: $4,970
- Rural and Native Housing - Rothesay: $11,050
- Rural and Native Housing - Smiths Creek: $4,000
- Rural and Native Housing - St. Martins North: $4,900
- Rural and Native Housing - Tower Hill: $5,252
- Rural and Native Housing - Willow Grove: $4,000
- Rotary Isle Estates: $248,400
- Stephenson Tower: $719,668.65
- Wright Street Housing Co-operative Ltd.: $240, 000
The TJ covered the announcement and alludes to an announcement about the upcoming redevelopment of Crescent Valley (an announcement about this is apparently being made right now).
The editorial board at the TJ also ran a piece about government’s role in creating affordable housing, saying in part:
“With the exception of residential co-ops, traditional housing projects tend to isolate their residents, trapping families in a cycle of poverty. Municipalities have moved away from building low-income neighbourhoods and towers to creating mixed-income residences in mixed-income neighbourhoods. This is the direction new housing policy should take.”
This editorial is part of the ongoing contemplation of housing that the TJ has been doing in its editorial pages. Like me, the editorial staff are trying to reconcile the need for immediate action with the need for responsible action and progressive planning.
6 comments:
"Like me, the editorial staff are trying to reconcile the need for immediate action with the need for responsible action and progressive planning."
I think you're giving them way too much credit
wow - talk about convoluted thinking...it is called inconsistent& contradictory positions on the same issue.
As long as there is funding that allows for large 100% subsidized building and there are newspapers who congratulate the builders of these huge buildings then they will continue to be built. Programs, policies need to be in place to ensure new and improved "ghetos" don't get built. Slapping the word "CO_OP" on it does not make it ok.
I think the comment is right. I think it is convoluted.
I like that word for this.
Is a roof over head now more important than a thriving healthy community tomorrow? Was Maslow’s hierarchy prescriptive or descriptive? Should all needs be met at once, and if not, not at all? Or do we try to address urgent need when it arises?
It's a complex issue. For me, complex thought and philosophical pondering is needed if I want to form an opinion on this.
Though, my complex thoughts are clouded by bias and experience (and the lack of experience), and my philosophical thought is likely no more than pseudo-philosophy.
Perhaps I'm not qualified to make comment. Perhaps I'm arrogant for trying. But, the internet lets me, and I do.
While we chew the fat with our keyboards, people in my community continue to live in substandard housing. That sucks. Of that I'm sure.
Build a roof & build a healthy community for today and for tomorrow.
Short cuts don't work. We need to compel those who want to use public money to build mixed income and/or build a number of smaller buildings. Compel them to build affordable housing in a variety of neighborhoods not just in neighborhoods that are struggling financially. Accepting less will ensure that many children growing up in poor neighborhoods will be adults in those same neighborhoods in need of affordable housing in a few short years - lets stop the impact of high concentration of poverty. Forget the convoluted either/or thinking.
How do we do this?
Policy won't be changed tomorrow, so what do we do?
I'm frustrated by the "mixed income is good" statements coming from the province and echoed media, when the policy and practice doesn't follow through.
Tomorrow, how does someone reading this make a change in the way this is played out?
you make people/organizations/newspapers accountable through communicating - you write letters to the editor, you comment on-line, you write blogs, use facebook, you vote for people who support healthy neighborhoods etc, etc... you challenge to push for change.
Policies can change - funding programs can have conditions - lets ensure affordable housing is good for everyone.
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