{"id":5831,"date":"2022-05-17T10:58:15","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T14:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/hamilton-spectator-advocates-call-faster-action-hamilton-lrt-affordable-housing\/"},"modified":"2022-05-17T10:58:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T14:58:15","slug":"hamilton-spectator-advocates-call-faster-action-hamilton-lrt-affordable-housing","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/news\/hamilton-spectator-advocates-call-faster-action-hamilton-lrt-affordable-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton Spectator: Advocates call for faster action by Hamilton on LRT affordable housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tPosted May 17, 2022<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tTenant advocates say Hamilton must act faster to build new affordable housing<\/a> along a rapidly gentrifying LRT route<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tA coalition of concerned residents gathered at city hall Monday to demand Hamilton quickly adopt a new \u201cinclusionary zoning\u201d policy \u2014 a tool under provincial law that cities can use to force private developers to include affordable units in new builds near major transit stations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThat tool has so far been \u201cleft in the shed,\u201d suggested Karl Andrus of the citizen-led Hamilton Community Benefits Network, who spoke to councillors at a city meeting on the $3.4-billion light-rail transit project<\/a>. \u201cEvery moment you delay, more land is being procured along the corridor by (private) developers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tHe emphasized rental rates have skyrocketed and many tenants have already been displaced<\/a> along the LRT route via both private redevelopment, as well as Metrolinx buying and emptying 60 buildings for LRT construction.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThe city is already working on a prospective inclusionary zoning policy \u2014 but it is not expected to be ready before early-to-mid 2023, said planning general manager Jason Thorne.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tCoun. Nrinder Nann asked what it would take to \u201caccelerate\u201d that timeline, adding she would consider bringing a motion on the idea to Tuesday\u2019s planning committee meeting. Thorne warned the city\u2019s current goal of early 2023 is already \u201caggressive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThe city is also separately looking at the prospect of buying land<\/a> along the Main-King-Queenston LRT corridor between McMaster University and Eastgate Square. The goal would be to preserve space for affordable housing or other community uses.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThe city\u2019s new LRT director, Abdul Shaikh, said Metrolinx is putting together a \u201cworking group\u201d to discuss affordable housing that would include the city, province and federal government, but he had no timeline to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tThe federal Liberal government specified new affordable housing along the transit line was a condition of its $1.7-billion commitment to match provincial funding that allowed the cancelled LRT to be resurrected last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\tWhat\u2019s new on LRT?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n