London City Council has identified four priority issues that will require a solid partnership with the next Government of Ontario: Transit and Transportation, Social and Affordable Housing, Poverty and Homeless Prevention, and Environment.
Poverty and Homeless Prevention
London is striving to make progress in fighting poverty and ending chronic homelessness, but there is still work to do. London’s Housing First approach helped reduce the number of individuals accessing emergency shelters by 18% between 2011 and 2016, but there are still not enough beds.
Current Local Solutions
- London’s Housing Development Corporation, incorporated in 2015, is a regional leader in advancing public-private partnerships to increase the supply of affordable housing. For every $1 in public funding for housing, the Housing Development Corporation can leverage an additional $1 from the private sector.
- Programs like Street Level Women at Risk bring together resources from 25 community organizations, and have found and maintained housing for 36 women involved with street-level sex work to date.
Questions For Candidates
1. What will your party do to support Londoners living in poverty?
2. How will you bring attention to the homeless prevention needs of mid-sized cities like London?
3. How will your party support the current local initiatives?