Mihaela Andrei

The Mayor and City Council

Ensuring growth in our Ward 3 comes with affordable housing, transit that moves & safer streets. I'm not a career politician, I live here. As board president, I have done the work. A community of 1,285 households: budgets, contractors, reserve funds & resident needs. Reviewing & negotiating contracts, questioning quotes & ensuring services are delivered. I've been an Ontario educator since 2009 & a realtor for 12+ years, so I know how housing costs hit families. I've lived in Montreal, Lyon & Madrid; we need to look at what works elsewhere.

Housing

Everyone deserves a secure home. In our ward, that's the man sleeping in the city parks, the young couple in Mimico priced out of buying, the senior in Long Branch afraid her rent will outrun her pension. To help people find and keep adequate housing, I would fast-track affordable and subsidized units, with the services, transit, schools and parks to support them. I would fight renovictions, expand the rent bank that stops evictions before they happen, hold the line on property taxes and work with local agencies on supportive housing.

Cost of Living

I would prioritize fixing how the City spends its budget before asking residents to pay more for their housing and transit needs. I would push for every major contract to be competitively sourced, with cost overruns published for residents to see. For years as a condo board president, I have reviewed contracts, pushed back on predatory vendors and protected reserve funds. I would apply the same rigorous discipline to the City budget starting with a line-by-line review to see how the money was spent and what services benefitted residents most.

Safety in Public Spaces

People feel safe where a space is cared for. That starts with working lights, open & clean washrooms, cleared paths, station elevators that work, and 911/311 calls that get a timely & adequate response. Someone in a mental health crisis needs a trained crisis worker, not a squad car, so I would make sure crisis teams are resourced across Ward 3 and police can focus on crime. I would work with local agencies to fill our parks with programs and events for the whole community. Streets, parks and transit are safest when neighbours know each other.

Getting Around the City

Get Park Lawn GO built. It's the biggest transit fix for the fastest-growing part of this ward. I have signed the TTCriders pledge: reliable, affordable, public transit, with priority on our busiest corridors so streetcars and buses are not stuck in traffic. On roads and bike lanes, the problem here has been decisions made over residents and businesses, not with them. I would plan with consultation in neighbourhoods, measure results and adjust. Construction has to be coordinated for less congestion. Sidewalks cleared. Every option should work.

Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour

Fast response, visible & consistent. Hate graffiti should come down within 24hrs. Leaving it up says it's acceptable. People who are targeted should know where to report and who will follow up. Council should speak clearly when something happens, not weeks later. I would invest in libraries, community centres and local groups who know their communities, because it's easier to stand up for neighbours you know. I have worked in classrooms since 2009, I know ignoring this behaviour allows it to fester. Everyone who lives here belongs here.