Today, mayoral candidate Matthew Hayes unveiled the last point of his platform, “Inclusive Communities”, as election day approaches. He wants to make Fredericton more inclusive by encouraging affordable housing.
City Hall can address the imbalance between property tax rates, rent levels, and vacancy rates, he says.
“Increasingly, Fredericton’s working families are finding it difficult to make ends meet,” says Hayes. “We can engage the community in finding solutions to these problems.”
By removing barriers to the development of affordable housing and making the process transparent, the city can encourage potential developers to build affordable, stable neighbourhoods throughout the city. Hayes also wants to consult with individuals living in poverty and their advocates to identify problems and find solutions.
“For many people in the city, home ownership is out of reach, but this doesn’t have to be the case. City Council’s job is to ensure a great quality of life for Frederictonians,” Hayes says. “Affordable housing is an important part of that. I intend to be a leader in pursuing this and moving our great city forward into the future.”
