Kingston mayoral candidates discuss housing affordability ahead of election
As people get ready to cast their ballots in Kingston’s municipal election, development and housing affordability and access are emerging as key issues.
The population is growing rapidly, with home prices going up.
Ivan Stoiljkovic is among four mayoral candidates. He has worked with those experiencing homelessness, and as a transit driver.
He says he would place a focus on creating units where rent is based on income.
“Housing is the biggest, largest, single expense for an average Canadian family. This is what we need to do,” explains Stoiljkovic.
Tina Fraser has worked overseas and she says she has been inspired by that. She says building more small unit, apartment-based, multi-use buildings would help alleviate the issues, but says more collaboration has to happen among citizens and council.
“We shouldn’t build new until we have a concrete answer as to who is living in our city, where are they living, so that we can strategically build housing around that,” explains Fraser.
Bryan Paterson is the incumbent running for his third term, and points to his experience. He says he has doubled the amount of new houses and units being built in the city.
He says everything from town homes to tiny homes would be looked at.
“It’s a push for expanding the overall supply of housing, with a target on lower cost, more attainable types of housing,” he says.
He also would like to see more work and communication in this part of eastern Ontario.
“We need to look at housing as a region,” he explains. “There are already thousands of people that live in Napanee, and in Gananoque, Loyalist Township, that commute into Kingston. So I think the time has come to convene mayors across the region to talk about making sure that we’re planning out housing for the region as well.”
Skyler McArthur-O’Blenes says he hears more people wanting to help with the housing crisis, and says it’s important to give people a way to do that.
“Incentivizing people to build in-law suites or carriage houses if they have extra space on their lots,” he explains. “That ties into re-examining the zoning process in the city.”
Voting day is Oct. 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.