Sam Nabi

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

Including supportive and affordable housing in all new municipal building projects — e.g. fire station, community centre, library, maintenance facility... we should use the most of our land by adding housing to any new capital project meant for the delivery of core city services.

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

The encampment at Victoria and Weber, like several other encampments across our region, exists because there is a lack of suitable supportive housing, shelter, and treatment options. When I visited the encampment to speak with neighbours there, I heard that there are many reasons why someone might find themselves unhoused. These range from fleeing intimate partner violence, to being unfairly evicted, to suffering a workplace injury, to struggling with addiction and mental health. Because there are so many different causes that might lead to homelessness, we need many different types of solutions. Kitchener is not unique in this scenario. Many cities across Canada are coping with the systemic underfunding of mental health and addictions supports, and the lack of social housing options relative to the need that exists. Justice Gibson ruled that evicting vulnerable people from the Victoria St. encampment without providing alternatives infringes on their right to life. A similar court ruling about an encampment in Montreal stated, “a human being cannot exist nowhere”. The conversation around growth can sometimes pit neighbours against each other. But something interesting happens when we design neighbourhoods with enough density for efficient transit, utilities, district energy, and housing choice. We get more options for homes at every stage of life. This means someone who wants to downsize from their single family home doesn’t have to move out of the neighbourhood, and can stay connected to their local community. Neighbourhoods that incorporate mixed-use, mid-rise development also provide more local job opportunities and give us the tax base we need to reliably maintain infrastructure for the long term. Unlike the current councillor, who put forward the motion to ban mid-rise housing in the Auditorium neighbourhood, I will advocate for a zoning bylaw that provides more housing choice in all areas of the city. Together with better protections for renters, new green spaces and trails, and expanded community gardens, our neighbourhoods can rise to the challenge of accommodating new growth while supporting livable communities.