The Kenora District Services Board is taking a different approach to address a critical shortage of affordable housing units in our area.
The Board is looking to develop a comprehensive housing strategy.
Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall says the goal is to bring industry, community and developers together to establish a concrete plan.
“We can’t just talk our way out of this. We know the numbers are significant and when you look at our housing wait-list. Just in 90 days, it’s already gone up 14.5%, which is unheard of and it’s really impacting our communities’ well-being but also economic growth.”
Wall stresses we have employers looking to expand and industry looking to move-in but a lot of workers can’t find proper housing.
He says we can’t achieve economic prosperity without proper housing.
Wall notes they are at the stage where everyone has to work together and share ideas to prepare for future growth and ensure affordable housing, of all sorts, is available in all of our communities.
“We have many developers who are willing to do this but for various reasons may lack the capacity. It could be labour force. It could be certain insurance that they need to move forward. But simply capacity. So, why don’t we start looking, even within our communities on how can we can work together to make housing happen.”
