Mayor challenges developers to build more affordable housing in virtual State of the City address

During the annual State of the City address, London Mayor Ed Holder highlighted London's accomplishments over the past, difficult year and challenged the private sector to help quadruple the amount of affordable housing that is built over the next five years in an effort to curb homelessness. 

"For too many in our city, there is no discernible difference from the way things are to the way things used to be. There's little in the way of hope, and even less in the way of choice," Holder said. 

For the first time, the speech was held virtually. It is a yearly fundraiser for the London Chamber of Commerce and was available to be watched by those who purchased tickets. 

In the past, the speech has been live-streamed by media to allow the public to watch. That has since been prohibited because Chamber president Gerry McCartney said giving public access to the event would undercut ticket sales.  

Holder wants to build 3,000 new affordable housing units over the next five years. 

"Right now, we're averaging about 150 new units each year. If that remains our pace, it would take us 20 years to achieve. That's unacceptable," he said. 

Invest in people

"My challenge to us all is to achieve this in 5 years. It's ambitious — it requires us to quadruple the number of affordable housing units that are currently being provided annually. But we can do this, and the time to start is now ... We need the private sector. We need you as builders, as developers, as Londoners who have grown with this city. You make investments in buildings, and property. We need you to make additional investments in people and community."

Holder called on builders and developers to partner with the city and other levels of government to find "constructive ways" to help those without an affordable place to live. 

Building has certainly not stopped during the pandemic. The city set a new record last year for building permits, with more than $1.6-billion generated, breaking the previous all-time high from 2014.

Holder said London is the first city in the Canada to achieve "functional zero" on veteran homelessness, which means the number of veterans experiencing homelessness is less than the number of people the city has proven it can house in a month. 

"It is a truly remarkable accomplishment, one that should instill in us not only pride and confidence, but also a motivation to aim higher, think bigger, and challenge ourselves to do even more," Holder said. "Instead of stopping at functional zero for veteran homelessness, why not functional zero for homeless women, or mothers with children fleeing abuse? Why not functional zero for our homeless Indigenous population, or those with addictions, or those cut off from family and related supports? Why not functional zero for chronic homelessness, period?"

Homelessness, poverty, mental illness and addiction are "not only the greatest inhibitors to a fulfilling existence" as well as "the greatest inhibitors of London's economic growth and future prosperity." 

Other highlights from the speech: 

• 26 businesses closed last year downtown, but 26 businesses opened
• There was a minute of silence for the 181 people from the London area who died from COVID-19. 
• Holder said there is "credible hope" about the future for the city. 
• An emphasis on roads projects, as well as improved rail service to and from Toronto. 
• Racism in London happens on a regular basis in both overt and subtle ways, and steps must be taken to combat that at every level. 

"We all want to get back to the way things were," Holder said. "We cannot be seduced by promises of a return to the way things wore. Not when such a return prevents us from advancing to where it ought to be, to be where it must be."