September 18th, 2023 - Housing Affordability Recommendations Pass @ City Council

September 18, 2023

We are proud to share with you that city council passed the Housing Affordability Task Force recommendations over the weekend in an emergency meeting.

And the recommendations passed with a resounding 12-3 vote, well beyond expectations and sending a clear message that this council is moving forward on making substantive changes in our city's rules and procedures to create more housing.

The recommendation on alterations to zoning also survived, meaning that council will move forward with exploring changes to zoning so that we can build communities that are multi-generational and that thrive. The discussions on some of the more controversial policies, such as a discussion on rent controls, changes or reductions to parking minimums, and other items, also survived the amendment process.

What's Next?: Now councillors, administration and our civil servants will work together towards building several packages of proposals, and will return to council with those changes to bylaws, administrative procedures and new modes of including Calgarians into new housing in their communities. Please stay tuned and subscribed to this newsletter as we track these policies at council.

Several hundred members of the community participated – showing up at the rally on Thursday afternoon, delivering over 160 presentations to council over two days and forwarding hundreds of emails to our public representatives. It wouldn't have been possible without you.

Action: If you can, please send a note to your local representative thanking them for their participation in the process, and encouraging them to keep moving forward towards a more affordable, compassionate and just city. (We have a list of their emails on our microsite, located here.)

This is important because, not only was this a necessary victory... it is also the first step amongst many to ensure that our city is a just and compassionate place, for all Calgarians.

Ongoing pressure is required as these recommendations and their acceptance are just that: recommendations that have been accepted by council. The next few months and years will prove if they take housing affordability seriously or not.

 

 

Our rally last Thursday was led by a broad, cross-section of Calgarians. If you're willing, please consider giving these other organizations a follow and a like on their social platforms to stay connected with them.

Instrumental to the effort was also one of our member institutions, the Calgary Climate Hub, who hosted trainings, spoke to council and elevated the debate for affordable housing. They're also kickstarting their fall fundraising drive, which you can learn about here.

Also, you probably saw ActionDignity and their delegation of over 40 community leaders that came to the rally, and supported the speaker representing the Calgary Alliance, Mario Ayudo, who shared stories of folks in the South Sudanese community in this housing crisis. Consider giving their team a follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thank you to Jocelyn Keith-Asante for representing the Calgary Alliance in chambers after the rally, and highlighting the need to be anti-racist and move forward on these housing recommendations. She is also a proud member of the Calgary Unitarians and the Truth and Reconciliation Research Action Team.

 

Campaign Updates

 

 

Truth & Reconciliation – Orange Shirt Day, the annual Children Commemorative Walk and Gathering event and more, is on the 30th of September.

  • Learn more about the Pokaiks walk and more events here with our friends at the CIF Reconciliation Society.
  • Click here for details on these gatherings throughout the month of September.
  • The Tamarack Institute shared a list of resources last year for Truth and Reconciliation. You can view it here.

Treaty 7 Day  – "The University of Calgary’s Office of Indigenous Engagement is creating space on September 22, 2023, to honour the oral histories, stories, and perspectives on the spirit and intent of Treaty 7. UCalgary’s Treaty 7 Day is also a time to promote reflection, awareness, and enhance the campus community’s understanding that we are all treaty people." – The webinar can be RSVP'd to by the public here.

 

 

Mental Health: The team at the Calgary Counselling Centre has encouraged Calgarians to take part in National Depression Screening Day. We have uploaded graphics and links to other resources on our internal microsite. The campaign takes place from October 3 to the 9th.

 

Work of the IAF Around the World

 

Our sister affiliates to the south of us wanted to share this kind note with our team. They are requesting prayers for the Industrial Areas Foundation delegation in their meeting with the Pope.

Attention WSW IAF Organizers and Leaders,

This is a quick note to inform you that this week we are sending a delegation from our West/Southwest region (leaders and organizers) for a return visit with Pope Francis. The meeting will be this Thursday at the Vatican. The Pope recently made this invitation so that we can share with him our organizing efforts since our conversation with him last October.

This meeting comes on the cusp of next month's historic gathering of the Global Synod on Synodality in Rome.

We are both honored by the Pope's invitation and humbled to represent the collective efforts of thousands of leaders and organizers who have worked to build the modern IAF over the past 50 years.

Please keep us in your prayers and we prepare for this conversation with the Holy Father. We will be reporting back to you very soon.

Joe Rubio
West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation

 

Upcoming Events

 

Foundations for Community Organizing

This training provides an introduction to the foundational leadership practices and principles of community organizing that have made it an effective means of bringing about social change.

This training focuses on topics such as:

  • The practices of relationships based leadership
  • Power - how to understand and exercise power with instead of power over
  • How to listen to a community for action
  • Breaking down complex social problems into actionable issues
  • Power Analysis, Action and Negotiations for Social Change

 

Research Action Teams

 

The Environment Team has shifted to meeting under the Calgary Climate Hub umbrella as the Policy and Research Node.

  • Contact [email protected] for more information.

  • Their next gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19th (12:00 PM) (the third Tuesday of each month).

The Strategy Team is scheduled to gather on Thursday, September 28th (10:15 AM).

The Truth and Reconciliation Research Action Team is set to gather on Tuesday, October 10th (7:30 PM) (the second Tuesday of each month).

 

This Week @ City Hall

 

Councillors are easing back into chambers this week, after a marathon public session last week and emergency meeting on Saturday (that ended a little after 8 PM).

On Tuesday, there is a public hearing at council, focused on land use amendments throughout the city. Of note is a report focusing on bylaw amendments streamlining change of use process (when a zone is changed on a property). Then, on Thursday, the Calgary Planning Commission to taking place, with a variety of submissions being in front of councillors.

 

 

The next meeting of the Calgary Police Commission is taking place on September 27th, at 3:00 PM. You can learn more on their website, located here.

 

 

Calgarians Take Action:

Housing:

Energy and a Changing City:

Reconciliation & Resurgence:

Unsocial Media:

Politics in the Arena:

 

Thank You

 

We are grateful to Calgary Foundation for its ongoing support of our work.

 

Calgary Alliance for the Common Good
www.calgarycommongood.org

Created with NationBuilder