Pathfinder’s housing policy goes in Circles, while Communities First offers a direct route
“As mayor, I’ll… repeal and replace the blanket rezoning bylaw with a more targeted, community-informed strategy that supports gentle density while building a variety of homes at a more affordable price point.”
– Jeromy “Pathfinder” Farkas
A lot is going on in that sentence. Some of it is consistent, some isn’t. But Jeromy is committed to getting rid of blanket rezoning, right?
Read that sentence again. It says “repeal blanket rezoning;” that’s good. But then it says “it will be replaced with…” that’s where things start to seem a little muddled and vague.
It sounds like “Pathfinder” wants to repeal Gondek’s blanket rezoning and replace it with a Farkas blanket rezoning (after you’ve been “engaged” by The City some more).
That’s not much of a promise at all.
In the same document, Farkas claims Gondek’s blanket rezoning has been a failure because it’s “not delivering results at a scale or speed required.” So he wants to accelerate the rate and scale of current redevelopment? Really?! That’s the least of its problems.
Blanket rezoning IS a failure.
- Instead of improving the administrative processing of applications, Gondek’s blanket rezoning has cut citizens out of important decisions about how their neighbourhoods grow by eliminating public hearings.
- It fails to recognize that not all sites are suitable for redevelopment and that community character and context are important considerations.
- It is haphazardly creating problems with our infrastructure capacity in communities scattered across the city and makes strategic planning for future investments much more difficult.
- And most notably, it’s failed to deliver on what proponents promised – improving housing affordability. Quite the contrary, it’s created more housing units, yes, but typically at a significantly higher price point than the ones torn down to make room for them.
Communities First candidates are committed to a straightforward pledge on blanket rezoning. We’re going to repeal it. That process will begin at the very first regular Council meeting following the election. We’ll reintroduce the previous Land Use Bylaw — the one that was in place before blanket rezoning — including the return of site-specific public hearings for rezoning applications.
Farkas promises a “permit guarantee” for approval of applications but offers very little information about how this will be achieved aside from vague measures like “expedited approvals,” assembling “dedicated teams,” “interdepartmental secondments,” and creating a new “housing innovation lab.”
Leading up to and during the blanket rezoning public hearing, Communities First mayoral candidate (and current Ward 1 Councillor) Sonya Sharp twice introduced proposed amendments. These focused on specific changes to cut red tape from the Planning department’s processes and help expedite approvals. Both times, her proposals were rejected by Jyoti Gondek and her council majority.
Sharp also sought a development pause in Bowness (the community with the highest rates of “densification” in the city) to conduct an infrastructure inventory, determining the community’s capacity given its aging infrastructure. Again, rejected by Gondek’s majority.
Both of these measures will be included in our plan for repealing blanket rezoning, along with a targeted consultation with Local Area Plan communities for amendments to previously approved plans.
Farkas also claims he will “protect renters” as mayor, perhaps forgetting that landlord/tenant issues are EXCLUSIVELY the domain of the Province; The City has no role in this. Yet, Pathfinder proposes establishing a new municipal advisory committee and support office in an area where The City has no jurisdiction.
This is a perfect example of municipal politicians “downloading” onto themselves for political purposes and is a complete reversal from Farkas’ positions when he was on Council. Calgary has 26 members of the legislative assembly who ARE responsible for this – it’s for Council to express an opinion, but the focus should be advocacy, not bureaucracy.
Council can do more to assist renters, but our primary role is in land use and approvals. Until the market shows signs of easing, Council can and should be giving preferential priority and streamlined processing for purpose-built rental applications.
We also need to explore creative solutions for transit-oriented development, starting with LRT sites. At the same time, we should support the federal and provincial governments, not-for-profit agencies, and the private sector in delivering more affordable housing for seniors and newcomers. That includes increasing access to subsidized housing for low-income families across the city. We’ll have more information on this as the campaign progresses.
In October, Communities First candidates will emphasize the need for Calgary to implement a housing strategy that works and a process that respects the people who live here.
Let’s build a city where affordability, character and community go hand in hand.
We’re ready. Will you join us?
