Morgan Harris

The Mayor and City Council

Housing - affordable, deeply affordable, transitional and supportive housing must be created and funded to meet demand. Current waitlists RGI 100,000 Supportive 15,000. Experiences to bear: Fourteen years director of supportive housing agency Habitat Services. Three years board advisor at Housing Connections (waitlist for RGI subsidized housing). Five years director Winchester Park Residents Assoc. advocating to City and Provincial funders, deputation to executive committee and part of the South St. James Town Rooming House Working Group.

Housing

The planning process appears to be broken and this affects all types of housing from private homes to public projects. Example in 2019 the city created HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan. I was invited to a consultation on that plan. Eleven city-owned sites identified for affordable housing. One site - a parking lot at 405 Sherbourne Street. Now seven years later, that site remains a parking lot. How can we build housing on that site before 2030? If it takes 7 or 8 years to start a project that is too long.

Cost of Living

Lower costs of public transit. Target to make transit free for seniors and later other groups until the TTC is free to use. This is done in other places and can be done here.

Safety in Public Spaces

Better public lighting, and cleaning of spaces. In my ward, Toronto Centre, many public spaces are awash with litter which is demoralizing and contributes to unsafe feeling if using such spaces. Example: Residents have identified Barbara Hall Park as a problem area and there are other sites in the core. Drug traffickers exploiting addicts have co-opted public and private spaces for their use. Perhaps more so since safe consumption sites have been closed. Example of success was Allan Gardens moving the drug trade out of the park.

Getting Around the City

Better co-ordination of necessary construction/repair work on streets and roads. With a view to mediating access especially during commutes and high-demand seasonal usage. Optimize parking fees/street permits to maximize revenue and find other means to discourage single passenger vehicles in high congestion areas at peak demand. Revisit congestion charge scheme.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

Anti-Racism efforts must be funded and woven into public dialogue within institutions. For example, groups hijacking legitimate protest about Israel actions in Gaza, have clearly targeted Jewish people and institutions, even neighbourhoods in the city. The public response must be to pursue organizers of any actions intended to threaten, intimidate or harm any group in the city regardless of their religion, ethnicity. Principles of respect and tolerance must be instilled and maintained through word and actions.