On Oct. 17 the Lake Country Community Legal Clinic will be holding a peaceful rally to bring awareness to the current housing crisis.
Maria Voinovski-Boucher, Community Legal Worker, said Canada is currently experiencing one of the worst housing crises in recent history.
“The housing crisis is no longer just a poverty issue, it is an everyone issue,” she said. “Across northern Ontario, specifically, families, elders, young workers, even middle-income earners are struggling to secure and maintain housing.”
On Friday (Oct 17) at noon a peaceful rally will be held in Bracebridge at the corner of Manitoba and Ontario streets.
“We want to bring this to the attention of our MP’s, our MPP’s – although the government knows this is happening, of course these things take time,” said Voinovski-Boucher. “We just want them to know that the world is watching, the country is watching – we’re aware that this is a human right, we’re entitled to have safe and affordable housing for as many families as possible – no family in Canada should be unhoused.”
She says the immediate action that could help a lot of Canadians would be the introduction of rent control. There is currently a survey they are asking people to sign to get the word back to Premier Doug Ford at Fair Rent Ontario – Stable Homes. Secure Futures.
According to Voinovski-Boucher, in Fredericton, NB a man donated money to buy a plot of land to create a transitional mini-home community. This initiative is called ‘The 12 Neighbours’ and currently they have put up 96 mini homes and a cafe.
She says this is a blueprint she has been looking at because it began with one man’s donation, and then the government topped it up.
“But just providing homes to everyone isn’t going to solve the issue,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are unhoused who require mental health assistance, addiction assistance, transition assistance.”
Voinovski-Boucher says it’s necessary to have supports in place to help people.
On Oct. 17, they hope to get community members out to stand as a united voice and let Canadians know that housing is a human right.
