Ward 7 Rezoning For Housing Survey Response

I wanted to start off by thanking all of the 569 respondents who took the time to provide their response and feedback to the Ward 7 Rezoning for Housing Survey, your feedback is greatly appreciated. This survey was undertaken to provide Ward 7 residents, and others, an additional approach in providing their thoughts on the proposed recommendations and personal implications. With this feedback, it is hoped that we can gain a better understanding and appreciation as to what Ward 7 residents know about ‘Blanket Rezoning to R-CG’ and how they feel about the impacts on them, their neighbours, streets, and community. We are neighbours of each other whether we live next door, across the street, or across the community and share in the enjoyment and benefits of the community.

The survey results and feedback will also add to the Ward 7 inputs collected through emails and letters, City information session ‘What We Heard Report’ and as received in the four Ward 7 Town Halls held by my Staff and I where between 200-250 people participated, and from the 700+ speakers heard throughout the historic 14-day public hearing.

Overall, we heard about the importance of community input, concerns about potential parking issues, how rezoning could lead to more vibrant and walkable communities, that growing communities have a need for additional infrastructure whether it be schools, libraries, waterpipes, or swimming pools, and throughout nearly every presentation or speaker – we heard that there is a need for housing in Calgary. Based off everything that we heard, I will be coming forward with multiple amendments to the original proposal that represent what we have heard from the community, and I will be supporting amendments put forward by my Council colleagues that reflect what our residents have said. My amendments and my vote is not exclusively about what I think, value and believe. It is very much about the feedback I’ve received.

Calgary is in a Housing-crisis, we need more homes. In addition to rezoning, I firmly believe that we can provide a significant amount of housing units for Calgarians by:

• Leveraging city-owned lands to provide below market affordable housing to providers and through housing co-ops.
• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) sites for both market and non-affordable housing with great access to LRT and Transit plus employment.
• Main Streets – providing housing and opportunities right within our own neighbourhoods.

We need to achieve the target of 1,000 new market housing and 3,000 non-market housing above our annual rate of development.

Again, thank you for speaking, writing, listening, and participating in the town halls and public hearings. I also wanted to thank City Staff and members of administration for their tireless work to support us throughout the last few weeks of public hearings and council deliberation to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.