Housing takes priority for Hamilton at AMO conference in Ottawa

A City of Hamilton delegation emphasized the need for a “comprehensive and integrated approach” to the challenges of housing affordability, homelessness, and community health at this week’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa.

“Housing is a key priority for Hamilton, and we continue to work hard to address gaps across the housing continuum,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath, one of five councillors (as well as senior staff) at the conference. “We want to ensure that people of all ages and income levels can afford to live in Hamilton and thrive (and) it will take a true provincial-municipal partnership to make progress.”

“My priority will always be ensuring every member of our community has a safe, affordable, and secure place to call home.”

The Hamilton delegation joined municipalities from across Ontario and provincial representatives at the annual conference held in the nation’s capital August 18-21 to engage with provincial leaders and advocate for the investments and changes needed to advance Hamilton’s priorities.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath

Horwath was joined by councillors Craig Cassar, Tammy Hwang, Cameron Kroetsch and Nrinder Nann, as well as City Manager Marnie Cluckie and other senior-level staff. Over the course of the conference, the group held a dozen meetings with provincial ministry staff from Municipal Affairs and Housing (the province has set a target for Hamilton to deliver 47,000 new housing units by 2031), Finance, Infrastructure, Health and Education, among others. The delegation also had talks with Ontario Liberal Party leader Bonnie Crombie and provincial NDP leader Marit Stiles on issues impacting Hamilton.

Subjects under discussion included direct housing-focused investment to support shovel-ready projects; transit growth and development; funding for housing-enabling infrastructure; and social investment to support vulnerable populations and strengthen social supports.

The City’s advocacy efforts at the conference aligned with Ontario’s Big City Mayors’ Solve the Crisis campaign, which calls on all levels of government to address the broader humanitarian housing crisis in Ontario.

Another topic was the need for the province to review the current municipal fiscal framework, with Hamilton reiterating the call for the province to provide municipalities with the necessary tools to fund critical infrastructure and services without imposing a financial burden on the communities.

“City staff, with the support of Council, will take every opportunity to highlight key municipal priorities on the provincial and national stages,” said Cluckie. “The meetings at AMO provided us with a valuable opportunity to advocate for the resources and changes needed to tackle the challenges we face in Hamilton.”

“We are committed to continuing these crucial conversations to achieve our goals and deliver on the needs of our community,” she added. “Continued support from the provincial level is essential for sustainable, resilient, and community-enabling infrastructure to ensure the City can meet both current and future needs as Hamilton grows.”

The conference featured more than 60 speakers, sessions and workshops, reflecting the broad scope of municipal responsibilities.

As part of the conference’s plenary program, Councillor Hwang was re-elected to the Board of Directors (Regional & Single Tier Caucus) of AMO.