Krissan Veerasingam

The Mayor and City Council

The most important thing I’d act on is combating social isolation. When neighbours know and trust each other, they are better able to support one another and organize around the broader challenges we face. From climate change to the affordability crisis, it all starts with building resilient communities.

Housing

Expand co-operative, rent-geared-to-income, and non-market housing on almost 100 city owned land that is housing ready or has the potential. Increase the Vacant Home Tax to make sure homes don’t sit empty during a housing crisis, while also fixing the reporting process that incorrectly penalized homeowners. Protect renters by strengthening RentSafe and improving enforcement against negligent landlords. Support gentle density and more housing options for families, including multiplexes, townhomes and laneway suites.

Cost of Living

Build on the City's bulk purchasing for student nutrition program to help community grocery stores, food hubs, and independent grocers lower costs and compete with large chains.

Safety in Public Spaces

I’d start with the root causes, from social isolation and precarious housing to inadequate support for people struggling in our public spaces. We need to build more connected communities and take a housing first approach to ensure no one is left on the street, where it becomes much harder to access the supports they need for complex challenges.

Getting Around the City

We only have limited road space and that means we need to encourage more people to use space and time efficient transportation options. The TTC is key to this and to ensure we have more people riding I will do the following. Lower the TTC fare cap so folks can get to free rides faster. Improve bus frequency across Scarborough, by reducing bunching and explore dedicated transit infrastructure to boost ridership and reduce congestion. Prioritize high frequency bus corridors for road repairs, to make rides more comfortable.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

I’d build connected communities where everyone feels they belong. Hateful and hostile behaviour often thrives when people are isolated and communities lack the resources to respond. I’d prioritize funding for community organizations, newcomer services, anti hate initiatives and accessible public spaces that bring people together.