Ottawa Vanier ACORN members demand Inclusionary Zoning in their neighbourhood!
Posted September 30, 2022
Huge shout out to Vanier ACORN members, who organised an Inclusionary Zoning Rally outside of 2 Montreal Rd. This rally was a quick hit to get the attention of the City Council and the developers, ML Devco and Main + Main. Currently, Vanier is excluded from Ottawa’s Inclusionary Zoning which is limited to “Protected Major Transit Service Areas” (PMTSA) but the City admits that it’s leaving some locations off the table! This decision limits the city’s ability to ensure that developers are meeting the affordable housing demands in Vanier. For example, the proposed site-plan for 2 Montreal Rd. will bring over 1000 new units to Vanier; however, since Vanier currently isn’t covered by IZ there is no guarantee that any of them will be affordable housing! As a result, low and moderate income people in Vanier are finding it difficult to fight against the gentrification of their neighbourhood.
To show the demand in Vanier for affordable housing, ACORN members organised an Inclusionary Zoning Rally outside of 2 Montreal Rd. To demonstrate the outrage Vanier ACORN members felt, they spoke about the importance of having affordable housing, spoke with a City council candidate for Ward 12, Laura Shantz, and got her to commit to ACORN’s Inclusionary Zoning demands. The members concluded the event by creating some posters to hang on the fence around 2 Montreal Rd. for pedestrians to see.
The Ottawa ACORN Tenant Union is demanding the following:
- 25-35% affordable housing citywide.
- Affordable housing should be defined as 30% of a household’s income and include income targets for low to moderate income households in core housing need (prioritising deeply affordable housing and those on the waitlist for social housing).
- Include minimum requirements for accessible units and 3-4 bedroom units for families.
- Affordable housing in perpetuity.
- Fully phased in by 2025.
Are you an Ottawa ACORN member that lives in Vanier and wants to have their voice heard? Come on out to the Vanier Chapter meeting!
