Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 22, 2021 – What is the City of Burlington Doing to Address Housing Needs & Opportunities?

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we’ll publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 22, 2021QUESTION:“Are there any updates to Burlington's Housing Strategy and what the City is doing to address our housing needs and opportunities?”ANSWER:As the City of Burlington continues work on its Housing Strategy, it is looking to discuss the findings of its Housing Needs and Opportunities Report with the community. The Housing Needs and Opportunities Report gives a full picture of Burlington’s housing needs and opportunities. The report covers the technical background work and feedback from the second Housing Strategy survey, Housing Strategy Working Group, Housing Strategy Steering Committee as well as City and Regional staff. The report also identifies five themes that form the pillars for the development of the City’s Housing Strategy.IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:Nov. 29 - Burlington Housing Strategy Virtual Open HouseCity staff will share the findings of the Housing Needs and Opportunities Report and provide an update on the Housing Strategy at a virtual open house on Monday, Nov. 29, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Zoom. Stakeholders are encouraged to join the discussion, ask questions, share feedback and learn more about the Housing Strategy project.Dec. 7 - Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee Meeting (CPRM)Staff will present the Housing Needs and Opportunities Report at the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee Meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 7.The public can see the staff report on the Housing Needs and Opportunities Report online starting Nov. 26, 2021. This report summarizes the work done to date on the Housing Strategy, including key findings, preliminary recommendations and next steps. The report will be available on the City’s website at burlington.ca/calendar once the agenda for the Dec. 7 Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee has been posted on Nov. 26. You can watch a livestream of the Dec. 7 Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee here on the day.Anyone who would like to speak to the Housing Needs and Opportunities Report should sign up to delegate before Dec. 6 at noon (12 p.m.).Quick Facts:

• In January 2021, Burlington City Council endorsed the Housing Strategy Terms of Reference. Dillon Consulting Limited and SHS Consulting were hired by the City to carry out this work with the City’s Housing Strategy Project Team, Housing Strategy Working Group and Housing Strategy Steering Committee.
• In March, the City kicked off the Housing Strategy with a virtual launch and the first Housing Strategy survey to share information about housing in Burlington, collect information about housing concerns and gather feedback on how stakeholders would like to be engaged throughout the project. This information was used to develop the Housing Strategy Project Engagement Plan.
• Over the summer, technical background work was done by the consulting team. Staff also launched a second Housing Strategy survey to collect residents’ experiences with housing. This helped identify housing issues, gaps and needs.

For more information on the Housing Strategy, visit GetInvolvedBurlington.ca/HousingStrategyRELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 15, 2021 – What is Happening with the former Robert Bateman HS site? I’m Hearing Rumours.
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 8, 2021 – Why did the OLT Approve the 29-Storey Tower at Lakeshore & Pearl?
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 1, 2021 – When Will the Loose-Leaf Collection Program Begin?
• Mayor’s Mailbag – October 2021 Roundup – Noise from Loud Vehicles, Complaints About Council Decision or Council/City Conduct, & Halloween Provincial Guidelines
• Mayor’s Mailbag – September 2021 Roundup – National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, Where Should I Direct my City-Related Questions, & Changes to Noise Regulation of Transportation of Goods
• Mayor’s Mailbag – August 2021 Roundup – Mixed vaccines & travel, Memorializing a loved one, & Construction hours of operation
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — July 2021 Roundup — Fireworks regulations, Millcroft Greens development, lifting of mask mandate & high-rises at Holland Park site
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — June 2021 Roundup — Development applications, vaccine supply & gunk on the beach

—*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist