Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
With families in Hamilton often earning less than half the money required to pay for a mortgage, this create a fundamental crises for many families as well as the City’s economic health. With that as a focal point, the City wants resident’s feedback on the actions outlined in the discussion paper titled Encouraging Family Friendly Housing in Hamilton.
The Family-Friendly Housing project is a City of Hamilton initiative that is looking at ways to provide and encourage an adequate supply of housing that is suitable for larger households and families with children. Having enough supply of suitable housing available, as well as designing developments and neighbourhoods in ways that are supportive of families, are key factors in ensuring that housing meets the needs of all citizens.
The term ‘family-friendly housing’ in this context refers primarily to housing that meets the needs of households with children (i.e. parent/guardian or multi-generational family with at least one child).
Currently, most development in Hamilton is either tiny cramped condos, or enormous, expensive single family homes. Neither option is suitable for the vast majority of families living in Hamilton.
In 2022, it is almost impossible to raise a family in a bachelor condo, and with recent realty prices across the City soaring, single family homes are financially out of reach for many working-class families. If Hamilton does not take immediate steps to address this crisis, it will have long term negative impacts on our City’s economy as families will migrate to communities where there are more family friendly options and affordable housing options.
Hamilton needs to encourage the construction of high quality housing that is specifically designed and priced for families. This includes appropriate sized home options, more two and three bedroom apartments and rental units along with community amenities like parks and greenspace, recreation and transit.
With so much at stake, the City wants to hear from residents about the actions proposed in Encouraging Family Friendly Housing in Hamilton. Input received from residents will be used to develop recommendations on which actions the City should pursue. The City will be hosting two upcoming Virtual Public Information Centres at the end of this month, where staff will provide an overview on the planning-related actions for family friendly housing in Hamilton. The sessions will take place:
| PIC #1 (Evening) Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm Register to attend(External link) | PIC #2 (Afternoon) Date: Thursday, March 24, 2022 Time: 1:30 to 3:30 pm Register to attend |
For those in Ward 8 who are concerned about the future health of our city, for those hoping their adult children will be able to afford a suitable home one-day and for those hoping to be homeowners themselves, we hope you will take the necessary time to appreciate what is at stake and to offer your input on the future of family friendly housing in our city.
For more details on the project timeline, key dates and FAQs, click here.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.