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

Lurdes Jordao

City/Township Council · Kitchener Ward 3

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes
This candidate finalized their responses after this guide and scoring methodology was published.
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
  • Prioritize rapid acquisition or conversion of existing buildings
  • Use publicly owned land for permanent or interim housing
  • Increase funding for deeply affordable and supportive housing
B. Interim management of encampments
  • Establish and maintain clear minimum standards (sanitation, safety, outreach)
  • Expand the hours and capacity of extreme-weather shelter protections beyond current levels
  • Require that enforcement actions be linked to the availability of adequate indoor alternatives
C. Accountability and collaboration between levels of government
  • Establish clear regional leadership with coordinated municipal roles
  • Actively advocate to the province for defined funding triggers and program supports
  • Publish ongoing performance metrics (e.g. housing placements, shelter bed access)
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
  • Focus improvements around schools, transit corridors, and commercial areas
What role should public transit play in regional growth, and how should future transit investments be prioritized?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Prioritize maximizing operational efficiency
  2. Prioritize expanding coverage area
  3. 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

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 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
  • Create financial incentives for low-carbon construction (e.g. development charge reductions, expedited approvals, density bonuses)
  • Maintain current standards: additional requirements are best set at the provincial or federal level
C. Infrastructure and capital planning
  • Prioritize active transportation and transit investment
  • Align municipal operations (fleet, facilities, procurement) with regional climate commitments
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
  1. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  2. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  3. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
  • Support programs to prepare food for those who are unhoused or unable to cook
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)
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
  1. Require detailed cost and risk analysis before approving
  2. Prioritize infill and intensification where infrastructure
  3. Limit outward growth unless full lifecycle infrastructure
How should councils balance provincial and regional mandates for increased housing density with neighbourhood opposition and local infrastructure constraints?select up to 4 per part
A. Planning & zoning tools
  • Require area-specific planning studies before permitting additional density
B. Managing neighbourhood opposition
  • Use public engagement to inform design, not to veto density
  • Phase or adjust density in response to neighbourhood concerns about design or servicing capacity
C. Infrastructure & servicing
No response
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

It is already sufficiently transparent and accessible

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
  • Prioritize not increasing taxes and service fees
  • Area-specific levies where residents in a defined area receive or request a distinct level of service
  • Actively pursue provincial and federal transfer funding and grants
D. Growth & cost recovery
  • Ensure new development pays a greater share of long-term infrastructure costs
  • Re-evaluate development incentives or subsidies that create long-term liabilities
B. Service levels
  • Adjust service delivery models to reduce costs without reducing access
  • Reduce discretionary programs to protect core services
C. Capital & infrastructure
  • Require lifecycle cost analysis before approving any new infrastructure
  • Defer or cancel capital projects with low long-term return on investment
About the Candidate3 questions

About the Candidate

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

I love our City and am passionate about my neighbourhood. I am running in hopes of giving back by providing representation of our neighbourhoods at City Hall.

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

I would support consolidation of some functions or municipalities

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

Housing and Infrastructure