George Trihenea

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to address both encampments and permanent housing.candidate's own words

I would focus on getting existing solutions working. Kitchener already has a transitional housing site on Victoria Street waiting for provincial funding to operate. I would work with our partners to get that capacity open, while prioritizing health, safety, outreach and pathways to permanent housing. At the end of the day, these are people in our community who deserve dignity, safety and a real opportunity to rebuild their lives. We need to meet people where they are and help them move toward stability.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on housing?candidate's own words

Many hands make light work. We need to get everyone involved — developers, non-profits and, importantly, everyday homeowners. If you have an unfinished basement or room for a granny suite, City Hall should make it easier to turn that space into a legal rental. That means cutting unnecessary red tape, speeding up approvals and helping homeowners navigate the process and required infrastructure for construction to start. I'm not asking homeowners to solve Kitchener's housing shortage. I'm saying City Hall should make it easier for those who want to help to actually do it. Thousands of homeowners each adding one unit can make a real difference. That's the kind of practical, bottom-up solution I want to bring to City Hall.

• Reallocate space on selected streets (e.g. road diets, transit lanes, protected bike lanes)
• Prioritize active transportation improvements during routine resurfacing

1. Use transit to shape land use
2. Prioritize maximizing operational efficiency
3. Invest in rapid transit to anchor growth
4. Prioritize lower-cost or incremental transit improvements

Yes, but roads should take priority; sidewalks cleared after

Yes, for specific groups

If you selected "Yes, for specific groups" above, which groups?candidate's own words

Seniors (ex. extend Older Adult Day Pass pilot), People with disabilities, Low-income residents

Please describe one criterion or principle that should not be compromised when making transit investment decisions.candidate's own words

Transparency in how transit investment decisions are made and funded. Every dollar spent on transit infrastructure should be traceable through an open, documented process, with clear council deliberation, not decided informally or without public scrutiny.

Please name one specific street, corridor, or project where you would prioritize these changes.candidate's own words

The Highway 7/8 Stratford West interchange in Kitchener. This corridor is the gateway into our downtown core, and right now it sends the wrong first impression, with heavy congestion during peak hours and dangerous conditions greeting people as they arrive. I've committed to working with the Province to improve safety here, alongside transportation solutions that reduce congestion and protect residents.

Describe one concrete policy, incentive, or decision you would prioritize to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Where possible, explain how it balances environmental goals with fiscal responsibility.candidate's own words

I'd start by retrofitting city buildings and switching the municipal fleet to lower-emission vehicles, picking projects with the fastest payback so they pay for themselves through lower energy bills. It's climate action that also saves taxpayer money, not one at the expense of the other.

1. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
2. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
3. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
4. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system

1. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
2. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
3. Proceed with outward growth to address housing supply
4. Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity

It should be more transparent and accessible

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

A transparent municipal government versus a reactive government that requires costly emergency solutions like the water crisis we are going through right now.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words

We should not be incurring long term debt for short term gain.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

I would utilize block chain technology to eliminate any sort of discrepancies in our budget.