Kevin White

Regional Council · Region of Waterloo

All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes Water

Housing & Homelessness 3 questions

Housing & Homelessness

How should municipalities and the Region balance providing permanent housing with the management of encampments in public spaces?select up to 3 per part

A. Pathways to permanent housing

Use publicly owned land for permanent or interim housing
Increase funding for deeply affordable and supportive housing
There really needs to be more serious consideration for non-market housing options and the maintenance of affordable housing units in perpetuity.

B. Interim management of encampments

Establish and maintain clear minimum standards (sanitation, safety, outreach)
Allow temporary encampments to persist while permanent housing options are actively being developed
I think when we talk about having clear minimum standards, we need to be in relationship with communities at encampments. I think sanitation, safety, and outreach (supportive relationships) are all desirable for residents in encampments, and there needs to be real engagement about what that means to each individual. What housing will actually meet their needs?

C. Accountability and collaboration between levels of government

Establish clear regional leadership with coordinated municipal roles
Publish ongoing performance metrics (e.g. housing placements, shelter bed access), Quite frankly, the level of neglect from the federal and provincial government as it relates to housing is rather astounding. There needs to be much greater consideration, especially from the province, for providing ongoing operational funding especially for supportive housing and wraparound services.

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

I think more fully engaging with the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, which was adopted by the Region in April 2024, would go a long way, particularly with the incorporation of lived expertise leadership throughout our community-led solutions. I think there are a lot of opportunities and suggestions in that document that the Region can more fulsomely explore.

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

I think there are numerous options that can be brought forward from community to the Region and other levels of government, too. The biggest obstacle that seems to keep coming up, though, is that housing is used as an investment, and we really need to find a way to de-commodify housing to reduce pressure on a populace whose wages are not keeping up at all with the cost of living.

Getting Around 4 questions

Getting Around

How should municipalities use existing street infrastructure to better prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit?select up to 3

Reallocate space on selected streets (e.g. road diets, transit lanes, protected bike lanes)
Prioritize active transportation improvements during routine resurfacing
Accessible public transit needs to be a priority. Reducing parking minimums in tandem with developing a more robust and comprehensive public transit system will be important for accessibility and sustainability as the Region continues to grow.

What role should public transit play in regional growth, and how should future transit investments be prioritized?ranked from highest to lowest importance

Prioritize maximizing operational efficiency
Use transit to shape land use
Prioritize expanding coverage area
Prioritize lower-cost or incremental transit improvements
Invest in rapid transit to anchor growth

Do you support the municipality taking responsibility for snow removal from sidewalks adjacent to private properties?single choice

Yes, sidewalks should be cleared alongside roads as part of regular winter maintenance

Do you support expanding fare-free transit for the Region?single choice

Yes, for all residents

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

Public transit is going to become incredibly important as the Region continues to grow. I believe we should be looking for ways to reduce car traffic, and prioritizing active transportation options as well as accessible and efficient public vehicle transit options so that people can reliably travel and complete errands with relative convenience will absolutely be a part of that.

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

Equity of access and operational sustainability are essential. I think again we can turn to that core value of "care for people and the land we share" as we continue to explore and develop public transit options.

Climate & Sustainability 3 questions

Climate & Sustainability

How should municipalities and the Region incorporate climate and sustainability into policy, including development and infrastructure decisions?select up to 3 per part

A. Perspective on climate change

Climate change is an urgent and defining crisis of our time; reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be a primary consideration across municipal decision-making
Climate change needs action and local governments can contribute in a few areas, but this is an issue better addressed at provincial and federal levels

B. Building and development standards

Where possible, require or incentivize energy efficiency standards in new development, beyond current provincial minimums
Use development agreements to require climate sustainability measures as a condition of approval

C. Infrastructure and capital planning

Prioritize active transportation and transit investment
When we consider the core value of "care for people and the land we share", I think we can engage in this planning on a more case-by-case basis. Equitably meeting needs may require subversion of broad policies.

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

Again, the core value of "care for people and the land we share" defines how decisions are made. If we cannot align the decisions regarding development or infrastructure planning with this value, then I think we aren't really taking sustainability seriously. That value needs to be clearly present in governing decisions.

Food Systems & Security 3 questions

Food Systems & Security

In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance

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

How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part

A. Access to food

Support the development of community buying clubs or municipal grocery stores
I think there are numerous possibilities here. I struggle in selecting some of these options, as I would very much like to see federal and provincial investments that don't rely on charitable-sector initiatives. Building out mutual aid options such as community gardens can also be important for community development.

B. Access to land for growing food

Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

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

It may be repetitive, but of course, "care for people and the land we share" needs to be the priority. We can't ignore this value in decision making, and elected representatives should be held accountable for adhering to this value.

Growth & Planning 4 questions

Growth & Planning

How should councils weigh the long-term cost of maintaining existing infrastructure when making decisions about outward growth and expansion?ranked from highest to lowest importance

Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
Use development phasing tied to infrastructure capacity
Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
Proceed with outward growth to address housing supply

How should councils balance provincial and regional mandates for increased housing density with neighbourhood opposition and local infrastructure constraints?select up to 3 per part

A. Planning & zoning tools

Expand as-of-right zoning to reduce case-by-case political decisions on housing forms
Allow small-scale housing forms city-wide as-of-right (e.g. up to four units per lot)
Eliminate parking minimum requirements

B. Managing neighbourhood opposition

Proceed with adopted plans even when facing local opposition
Use public engagement to inform design, not to veto density, "Care for people and the land we share" should also dictate our approach to population growth and welcoming new neighbours.

C. Infrastructure & servicing

Approve density where infrastructure capacity already exists
Pair density approvals with targeted infrastructure upgrades
Upgrade infrastructure with a long-term view for what will need to be built, not just to meet urgent targets. Set up future success for those that will come later.

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

No surprises here, it's "care for people and the land we share" all the way through.

What can the municipality/region do, if anything, about land which sits vacant for years because it is being used as an investment (land banking)?candidate's own words

I'm struggling to recall in the moment, but I believe Steve Pomeroy may have written about some possible options for governments in this regard? I would have to go back through some of those articles to find something more specific, though.

Budget & Taxes 5 questions

Budget & Taxes

Do you think the Region's or municipality's budget process should be more transparent and accessible to residents?single choice

No response

Municipal and regional costs have generally risen faster than revenues restricted by property tax rules and limited local revenue tools. How would you balance tax increases against maintaining service levels and long-term financial sustainability?select up to 3 per part

A. Revenue approaches

Care for people and the land we share needs to include how we budget. Reallocation of budget seems an impossible dream given the funding model we're currently using, but I think we do have to consider what our return on investment is for areas where tax dollars are being spent and reward agencies and services providing greater and wider-reaching benefits.

D. Growth & cost recovery

We need to be preparing for a post-growth economy.

B. Service levels

Care for people and the land we share needs to be the primary consideration.

C. Capital & infrastructure

No response

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

"Care for people and the land we share" needs to be the primary consideration here as well. That includes impacts of rising taxes, service provision and management, and the responsibilities we have to each other in community. I would expect that requests for funding adjustments would also need to appeal to this core value.

Water Supply (Regional) 1 questions

Water Supply (Regional)

The Region of Waterloo's long-term water supply is under growing pressure. Water capacity in the Mannheim Service Area serving Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge, Wilmot, and Woolwich, is limited in supporting new development approvals. While additional supplies were found for easing immediate needs, what long term approach should the Region take? (rank from highest to lowest in importance)ranked from highest to lowest importance

Prioritize immediate investment in water conservation programs and demand management
Pursue a Lake Erie pipeline connection with provincial and federal cost-sharing
Accelerate exploration of alternative water sources (wells, treated wastewater reuse, inter-municipal supply)
Commission an independent technical review of all options before committing to major new infrastructure
Approve developments now and resolve water supply constraints in the future

Describe your position on how the Region should resolve this issue and what timeline is realistic.candidate's own words

When we consider this issue with "care for people and the land we share" as our primary consideration, it becomes clear that we need to make some substantial changes in the way we relate. There may be some easing measures to be introduced, but we are going to experience some hardship, and I think we need to work to really consider this core value in relation to surrounding municipalities when we formulate a strategy for transitioning to more sustainable water infrastructure for the region.

About the Candidate3 questions

About the Candidate

Why are you running for this position?candidate's own words

I believe the Region's core value, care for people and the land we share, should be the primary consideration in all decision making. In the past, I have not been convinced that this is the case. I think the Region needs to engage more fulsomely with that value as a focus, and I would like to see local leadership be accountable for that.

How does the current two-tier structure of municipal and regional government affect the Region's ability to make coherent decisions on housing, planning, and infrastructure?candidate's own words

The structure creates gaps or duplication that lead to worse outcomes, Structural reform deserves serious study before the next election cycle, There is an acknowledged lack of coordination between the two-tier structure (on August 11, this was even discussed in a council meeting). This is an area that can definitely be improved.

Please describe one specific area where you think the governance structure helps or hinders good decision-making.candidate's own words

I think voters can be justifiably frustrated that some Regional decisions do not seem to have significant impact on individual city and township actions. When the Region puts forward a clear directive, it is confusing to have mayors oppose or even reject the directive, which results in a fragmented application of decisions at best. Here is another area where I think the core value of "care for people and the land we share" could be clearly invoked to more effectively coordinate actions between levels of government. There is no reason why this value should not be supported by both tiers of our municipal governments.