January 16, 2011
As an update on my last post, News in the New Year, I have spent the last week listening to the concerns of some of those involved in rental housing in our community.
On Monday, January 10, Council received a draft Rental Housing Licensing By-law and suspended the issuing of new lodging house licenses for several months in order to give the City and the community time to discuss and deliberate on how to improve the draft by-law and serve the entire community better.
Councillors and staff have heard hundreds of complaints from lodging house owners over the last week, which validates our decision last Monday to take the time necessary to listen, deliberate, and get this right. The rental market is an important part of our community, especially for those who do not currently have the means to own their own homes.
As someone who spent his first ten years in this community as a renter, I appreciate those landlords who were responsive and took their responsibilities to provide safe and adequate housing in exchange for a fair rent seriously. We need more of those in our community, not less.
I spent five months knocking on doors last year in all parts of Ward 6. I heard loud and clear from those residents who live in and near low-density rental housing that the status quo was not acceptable.
These voices have largely been absent over the last week. I do not forget that they are out there, and it is critical that all of those connected to rental housing participate in this consultative process, whether they own it, live in it, or live next to it.
I would like to encourage renters and their neighbours to join the landlords at an open house or at the Council meeting on April 11 when the next report from staff returns to Council.
For more information, please visit http://www.waterloo.ca/rhlr or email rental@waterloo.ca.
January 9, 2011
I enjoyed the New Year’s Levee hosted by the City earlier today at RIM Park. I want to thank the K-W Community Orchestra quartet, the WCI Strings, the Waterloo Chinese Philharmonic Chorus, WLU Singers, the Happy Space Clowns, and the K-W Skating Club, for volunteering their time and talent to the event. But I particularly want to thank all of the residents of Waterloo who came to talk about what was on their mind in 2011. It is really important as Council begins planning for the next four years to hear from everyone about where they think Waterloo should prioritize its efforts and resources.
With that in mind, here are some items that Council has on its agenda over the next two months of which you should be aware and on which we could use you input:
1. Budget 2011 – On January 10 and 17, Council will be receiving presentations from departments about their business plans. On February 14, Council will be officially considering the 2011 Operating and Capital Budget with forecasts for the following three and nine years respectively. More information is available here
2. Northdale – On December 13, 2010, Council received for information the terms of reference for a consultant to undertake a Land Use Plan and Community Improvement Plan for Northdale. It also approved a terms of reference for a Northdale Special Project Committee. This committee will provide feedback to the consultant and we are currently recruiting for positions. Check out the criteria and application here and apply if you are interested by January 21.
3. Rental Housing Licensing By-law – On January 10, Council will receive for information a draft Rental Housing Licensing By-law, which is being designed to help ensure the health and safety of low-density rental housing across the City of Waterloo. Council anticipates there will be a lot of feedback and suggestions and has scheduled open houses for January 13, 18, and 20th. For more information, visit the website and register for the open houses by emailing rental@waterloo.ca. Staff will be considering the feedback and making amendments as appropriate before tabling a revised by-law for final consideration by Council on February 28.
4. Strategic Plan 2011-2014 – Every new term of Council, the Strategic Plan is revisited and refreshed to ensure that we take stock of where we’ve come over the last four years and set the direction on our goals and priorities as a community for the next four years. The last plan is available here. We will be scheduling public input sessions in February and there will be many opportunities for feedback. I will use this blog space to keep you informed as the dates and opportunities are confirmed.
Thank you all in advance for your well-considered feedback and suggestions on these important initiatives for the community as a whole. I hope that you all had a good holiday season and that the new year is treating you well.
