Peel ACORN Members Hold Successful Rally and Petitioning Day for Affordable Housing in Cooksville
Posted October 22, 2021
Posted October 22, 2021
On Saturday, October 16th Peel ACORN members rallied outside the Artform condo development at 86 Dundas to formally launch our petition for Inclusionary Zoning in Peel.
Despite the stormy weather, a dozen members came out waving their signs, flags and bringing their energetic spirits for affordable housing at arguably the centre of Mississauga’s housing crisis: the low-income neighbourhood of Cooksville. This neighbourhood is seeing many signs of sweeping corporate development for high-income families, such as the Artform condo and other condo developments that are already destroying local businesses that cater to low-income people. Fighting for new housing supports like Inclusionary Zoning that protect and build affordable housing is extremely important to prevent more families from being priced out of an already expensive city.
The Peel ACORN rally was very successful in bringing local traffic along the busy Hurontario and Dundas corridor to a stand-still to watch members fighting for affordable housing. ACORN leaders Robin, Nabeela, and Tanya all did terrific in leading attendees in chants, in explaining the need for IZ, and in teaching each other how to petition folks in the area. Everyone did an amazing job getting 30 people in the area to support Peel ACORN’s IZ petition that’s calling on the Region to create 30% of units in all new developments as affordable for low-income families, forever, and all across Peel instead of just transit hubs.
Several media outlets picked up our story beforehand including InSauga and the Toronto Star, and local independent media Peel Weekly News just release an article on our rally in their recent coverage on affordable housing in Peel.
Troublingly, an update from Region mentions that the policy is looking to target mostly income brackets between 61K and 110K for Inclusionary Zoning while offering little in comparison for actual low-income people that make extremely less. Clearly, the fight for real DEEPLY affordable housing continues, and members will be taking their fury about the government’s lack of real housing plans for low-income people at upcoming deputations.
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Peel Weekly News: Diving into the state of housing affordability in Peel Region
