What a housing emergency means

Yesterday, here in Edmonton, Mayor Sohi declared a housing emergency in an effort to bring all levels of government together to come up with housing solutions. A good step, but there's a long way to go. At this point, it's anybody's guess as to whether other government officials will actually show up to the meetings.

Temperatures here in Canada's northernmost provincial capital are warming up a wee bit (-20 with windchill to -30 as I write), but people are still suffering frostbite and there have been at least 3 deaths from the cold this week that I know of, likely more. A housing emergency means that there aren't enough places for people in my city to stay warm, never mind live in a community of their own choosing. It means more than that, too.

As Canadians, we have been told that our country is high on the list of places where migrants and refugees want to live. For decades, our standard of living has been something many aspire to share. We've been proud of that.

But the fact is that housing prices continue to rise (due to greed in some cases) and because of that, there clearly isn't enough affordable housing for the people already here. If there was, no one would be freezing to death outside. Our governments used to invest in supportive and affordable housing, but lately they haven't put money down to get shovels in the ground and build what is needed right now. 

If that's not a housing emergency, I don't know what is. Clearly, things have to change so that we can ensure that no one has to live outdoors, and so we can welcome new would-be Canadians, especially from places where life is untenable.

I wasn't going to share this interview link from early Sunday morning as it feels embarrassing to do so, but the images (notice the fellow I wrote about last week with his dog, Billy Bob, on the trolley?) and the last minute or so of the interview about contacting elected officials -- are the whole point of what I keep going on about here. 

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2299556419635

The thing is, the inability to afford a home that affects even one person has a ripple effect on all of us. We are all connected, whether we realize it or not. No matter where we live, it's possible we don't realize that some of our neighbours may be having to choose between paying the rent or buying groceries/medications. 

Some of us might be safe, warm, and secure for the moment, but if we don't speak up in defense of those who are struggling, their miseries will compound, and might overwhelm the systems that sustain us all. Crime rates, pressures on healthcare and mental health, addictions, and so many other ills only increase when people are up against a wall. That's a future that none of us really want to imagine. 

So it's time to make noise.

Please, if you haven't already, contact your elected officials. Remind them that all of Canada (all of the world, really) is in various states of housing emergency. Give them the Bottom Line: housing is a human right, and government officials MUST work to ensure that everyone has homes that they can afford. And if you want to go the extra mile, suggest that basic income for all would be helpful too.

Both can happen with some effort, creativity and political will. But we have to push our politicians in the right direction, because they get distracted from these life and death situations by the darndest things! 

After reading my last moodling, my mom said, "why don't you post contact information for people who want to write letters?" So here it is. Mom -- you're right, I should have done it sooner! And everyone is welcome to share this moodling/these addresses with their circle of friends!

Sean Fraser, Canada's Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. Email address -- sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca 

Jason Nixon, Alberta's Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. Email address -- scss.minister@gov.ab.ca

And if you're not Albertan or Canadian, please don't doubt that there's a housing emergency where you live. It's world wide. Sending an email or phoning your own elected officials can get the ball rolling for a better and more resilient world. 

Hey, there's my word of the year!

I'll get off my soapbox now and post happier things for the rest of the month, I promise!

What are you voting for?

Yesterday, one block north of
the downtown Police Station

The writ dropped today, and Albertans are facing another election. I'm not going to get into partisan politics here, but I do want to bring my readers' attention to a critical issue to consider when voting.

Or maybe you've already noticed there's a housing emergency going on. If you spend any time in downtown Edmonton, or walk our river valleys at all, you'll know that our homeless population has been growing.

And I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with inner city friends about landlords jacking up their rents because their buildings need a lot of work -- and the work doesn't get done.

What you might not know is that, up until about 30 years ago, the provincial government did an excellent job creating good, affordable housing so that people didn't have to live outside or in tumble-down tenements. 

Unfortunately, our politicians' priorities shifted, and public money hasn't been spent on affordable housing since the late 80s. In fact, some social housing has been sold off to private interests who don't take care of it. As a result, affordable housing is scarce, and suddenly, you don't have to watch the news to see the resultant increase in community safety concerns or physical and mental health issues in many of our neighbourhoods across the province!

What is someone like Yolande supposed to do? She's a young mom with two school-aged kids, and she's fled a situation of domestic violence. Her little family is now safe in a small apartment, but her rent costs more than half her wages, so she falls short of money for food, utilities and other family expenses every month. She called our local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) for help, but if she had affordable housing, she wouldn't be scrambling to pay her bills and feed her kids all the time.

Yolande’s family is only one of an estimated 35,000 households in Edmonton alone who are in core housing need, meaning that they are paying more than 30% of their incomes to rent their homes, many of which are in poor condition, or do not meet their space or accessibility needs.  And volunteers with SSVP and other agencies meet many seniors and people with long-term illness or disabilities who are in that same boat. 

The City of Edmonton estimates that core housing need will rise to 50,000 households by 2030 unless our provincial government returns to building affordable housing the way it used to, up until the 1980’s.

This is a housing emergency! And it's time to do something about it! 

The election will happen on May 29th. I usually don't know what to say to the electoral candidates who come to my door. But for the past couple of weeks, I've been sharing 3 questions that anyone can ask our wanna-be-politicians:

1.   Too many Albertans struggle to feed their families each month because their rent costs more than 30% of their income. How will you address the affordable housing crisis?

2.   The Alberta Government has not made significant investments in affordable housing in the last 30 years. An estimated investment of $600 million per year for the next 10 years is needed simply to catch up with present needs. Will you support this? Why or why not?

(Maria's note: $600 billion is a drop in the budget bucket of a province that had a $12.3 billion surplus in 2022 alone. For more information on where I got this estimate, see www.ecohh.ca)

3.   Appropriate housing is a necessary solution for homelessness. How will you support this goal? 

If enough of us ask candidates these kinds of questions, leaders are more likely to take notice of the public's concern, and hopefully the housing crisis can be averted. Every question on the doorstep has an impact. Believe it!

So copy, paste, and keep these questions at your door for when electoral candidates come to visit. We can stand up for those in need before the housing emergency gets even worse. 

It's worth asking a few questions, no question!