Making Good Trouble

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Written by Sister Joan Atkinson, President, London Affordable Housing Foundation

During the most recent election as federal parties were campaigning we heard a lot about housing - the high cost of housing, the many people who are priced out of the market, and others who cannot afford rent. The housing market is hot but priced above what so many can afford. Canada, and this includes London, is in the midst of a housing crisis. This is worrying. There are many barriers people are facing. Some of these barriers include:

  • Shortfalls in salary, made more difficult because of the pandemic

  • Lack of steady full-time employment 

  • Current levels of household debt

  • The fear of being house-poor

  • The mortgage ‘stress test’

We are all good at naming the problem, but not so good at finding solutions to address the need. 

Housing is not an easy problem to solve. Part of this is because it is a systemic problem. Every level of government is involved in some way. I want to focus on the rental market because I receive calls everyday from families and individuals who are in urgent need of housing. Rents are skyrocketing and vacancy rates are at all time lows. More and more we are seeing members of our community fall through the cracks,ending up in temporary shelters and on the streets. 

I am convinced we can, and must, do better than this!

I am part of a non-profit housing group that has joined with five other housing groups to redevelop some of the lands of the former Victoria Hospital. We came together at the invitation of the Housing Action Committee of the London Community Foundation, asking us to work with them to build more affordable housing units. It was a daunting challenge but, by thinking outside the box and bringing together our ideas over the next two to three years, we will build well over four hundred affordable housing units in mixed income buildings. Working with the neighbourhood, with city staff, with CMHC as well as with many good donors, we hope very soon to be shovel ready to begin. This project, called the SOHO Alliance, will not answer all the housing needs, but it is certainly a huge step in the right direction.  

The housing need in London is in trouble. But, I want to think about this challenge in the words of John Lewis, a man who worked his whole life for equity and inclusion, as being involved in “MAKING GOOD TROUBLE”.

Affordable HousingSister Joan Atkinson