Housing affordability dominated the conversation during Canada’s recent federal election, with each major party putting forward policy ideas and funding promises in their platforms. In the Vote Housing campaign, we urged voters to prioritize housing when they filled in their ballots. But with multiple, varied promises from each party, we were admittedly asking voters to do a lot of analysis.
It's very easy to think you need to be a policy expert to engage in this housing affordability conversation, but I would like to suggest that even if you don't have all the answers, a few strategic questions can disrupt the status quo and send the message that we are paying attention.
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Ready to read more? Head on over to the full blog post, to get some sample questions, a little bit of sauce, and a whole lot of inspiration!
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George Lakoff is quoted as saying, “In politics, whoever frames the argument tends to win the battle.” This is true in affordable housing, and right now the developers, and developer-lobbied policymakers, are framing the issue as one of supply, hampered by red tape and restrictive planning. Meanwhile, campaigning politicians promise first-time homebuyer supports to help individuals buy a house, without addressing the fact that the prices are too high to begin with. We can disrupt these conversations. Let's go make some trouble.
Engage Barrie Organization encourages our members and guests to contribute blog posts on a variety of topics that fall under our "equitable, empowered, engaged" umbrella, in the hopes of sharing a variety of perspectives and experiences. Please be aware that the views and opinions expressed by our blog contributors do not necessarily reflect any official position of Engage Barrie Organization.
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