Candidate for City Councillor
Ashley Jansen
Ward 9 Davenport
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Issue answers
Listen to what the people want and act on that. Right now it's affordability and safety. The city and its policies must remain flexible, be able to pivot and act quickly. Work contracted out by the city and all city services should also follow suit. I've worked in Customer Service, Administration and Health Care. The most successful businesses are the ones who receive feedback from their clients and use that feedback implement change quickly.
Purchase or build more subsidized housing units and increase short term transitional housing. Any new condo or apartment developments built above a certain size will have to allocate a percentage of units to subsidized housing in exchange for lower development charges or some other type of compromise. Purposely built micro-sized units for non-profit subsidized housing may also be an option, similar to New York's mirco apartments.
The city has a spending problem. We need to eliminate unnecessary spending. Each dollar spent should have a verifiable return on investment. With the savings found, we can reinvest into our transit and housing systems. While the city may not be able to lower costs, at least the city would not increase prices.
Safety is comprised of many different factors including housing, affordability, mental health and socially accepted practices. Through support services, education and harsher penalties, we can make Toronto safer. An increase in police presence, community officers and community engagement with law enforcement is also necessary to keep Toronto safe. All of the above need to be balanced to be effective. If you see something, say something or else it wont be known to those in charge and nothing will be done.
Rapidly increase subway systems. Reduce the amount of downtime for subway systems. Have axillary lines to handle overflow when a line is down. Get more people underground to free up above ground traffic for all modes of transportation. Subways are faster, can hold more people and operate well with most of Toronto's weather patterns. Line 5 has made a huge impact on commuter times along Eglington. We need to learn from transit systems better than ours. TTC was voted Number 1 in North America. Time to be Number 1 in the world.
Confronting Hateful and Hostile Behaviour
Many Torontonians are concerned about hateful and hostile behaviour, which can disproportionately affect newcomers and members of racialized, marginalized, and equity-deserving communities. What would you prioritize on the next City Council to respond and keep Toronto safe and welcoming for everyone?Hateful and Hostile behavior is multifaceted issue that stems from many places. Laws must be followed and applied equally. We all need to work together for a better understanding of each other. Cultural exposure, exchange and assimilation may help reduce hate. A great way is to support more cultural events in the city. The more curious and open we are, the better we will be.
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