Students from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning have worked closely with the Town of Saugeen Shores and the Municipal Innovation Council (MIC) for the last three months.
Six groups, each with four to five members, have conducted applied research on housing pressures and needs in the region.
On Tuesday, April 7, Jay Pausner (Supervisor, Development Services, Town of Saugeen Shores) and I facilitated a day-long Attainable Housing Research Symposium. Each of the six undergraduate student groups masterfully developed and delivered their presentations to a large group of municipal staff, elected officials, members of the Saugeen Ojibwa Nation, and community partners.
The day began with introductions from Jay and I along with the faculty lead, Dr. Mark Seasons. Two groups presented their comprehensive environmental scans along with findings from other jurisdictions in Canada.
In the second hour of presentations, two groups shared their research on the viability of various solutions to increase affordable and attainable housing stock in the Saugeen Shores context.
The final hour featured two presentations on monitoring and evaluation systems that municipal staff can use to actively assess options to improve availability and access to attainable housing.
Having had the opportunity to meet with each student on a bi-weekly basis, I saw firsthand how capable and talented the students are in UW’s planning program. I was immensely impressed by each student’s professionalism and competency around the issue of attainable and affordable housing.
What moved me was their enduring commitment to improving people’s lives in Saugeen Shores. Their work will have a significant impact.
So, what now?
The Town of Saugeen Shores, Bruce County, and the Municipal Innovation Council are going to meet shortly and identify which findings we can integrate into the short, medium, and long term.
Staff in other municipalities and community members will also be able to integrate the student’s findings into plans for more equitable and accessible housing throughout Bruce County. I also encourage everyone to visit planthebruce.ca to learn more about the County’s planning efforts and engage in the planning process.
To Sawroop, Nikhail, Julia, Yifan, Demi, Daniel, Trisha, Christy, Samantha, Anika, Stephanie, Mark, Miila, Ammy, Rebecca, Erica, Jamies, Daniel, Zach, Samaha, Sybrielle, William, Dylan, and Amy: Thank you. Your future is bright.
Written by Dave Shorey, former Innovation Officer at the Municipal Innovation Council.