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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 18 ,2 02 1 | 14 TAX COURSES JOB OPPORTUNITIES Register Now! Space is limited softrontax.com 905-273-4444 • 1-877-SOFTRON Since the onset of the pandemic, most of us have been spending a lot more time at home. Rarely has the nature of these homes been more im- portant, as they became our entire world -- doubling up as workplaces, schools and gyms. COVID-19 brought to light the stark inequalities with housing in Canada. Some of our neighbours en- dured lockdowns in large homes with plenty of living space, landscaped gardens and pools, while others struggled in unsafe and overcrowded conditions with no outdoor areas. We know that safe and decent housing has the power to change individual lives and transform the prosperity of our communi- ties, by supporting stable employment, better physi- cal and mental health out- comes, and increased ac- cess to educational oppor- tunities. But all too frequently for families with low income, it does not. Since March 2020, we've witnessed how poor hous- ing conditions, such as overcrowding and high den- sity, are associated with the spread of COVID-19. Some of those hit hardest by the pandemic are our most vul- nerable populations. Did you know?: • One in 10 Halton resi- dents are in core housing need. Going into the CO- VID-19 pandemic, 17,500 households in Halton re- gion (9.4 per cent) had at least one major housing problem relating to over- crowding, affordability or poor quality (Community Development Halton, 2018). • Halton has some of the highest rental rates in the province. In 2020, the aver- age apartment rental rate in the region was $1,582 -- the highest of all regional market rates in Ontario, in- cluding Toronto (CMHC Rental Market Survey, 2020). • Housing prices in Hal- ton have become, for many, unattainable. The average resale price of a home in Halton region was $913,615 in 2020 (Real Property Solu- tions House Price Index), and it has only continued to go up. According to mort- gage calculations done by the Ontario Ministry of Mu- nicipal Affairs and Hous- ing, this option is affordable for the top 10th percentile of all income earners (i.e. households earning $267,000 or more per an- num). Ask yourself, will your children be able to af- ford a house in Halton? • Workers earning less than $20.75 per hour are liv- ing in financial stress. Ear- lier this month, the Ontario Living Wage Network pub- lished the 2021 living wage rates, which represent the minimum income neces- sary for a worker to meet their basic needs (food, housing, and transporta- tion). At $20.75 per hour, Halton's is the second high- est in the province, driven in large part by housing costs. Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Duf- ferin (Habitat HMD) is working hard to address the urgent need for innovative solutions across the hous- ing spectrum, from build- ing Tiny Homes in collabo- ration with our Indigenous partners to creating new eq- uity building and afford- able homeownership op- tions for families. As we approach Nation- al Housing Day (Nov. 22), Habitat HMD is going "Be- yond the Build," and we want you to join us. On #NationalHousing- Day, show your support for increasing the supply of af- fordable housing in our communities, which is es- sential to a successful social and economic recovery from COVID-19. • Shop. Visit one of our Restores in Burlington, Mil- ton, Mississauga and Or- angeville. • Volunteer. There are so many ways you can get in- volved. Learn more at https://habitathm.ca/vol- unteer/. • Donate money. 100 per cent of every dollar you give goes to support our build- ing programs. • Donate gently used, re- salable goods. Instead of tossing your unwanted household items and clothes, donate them to Habitat. You will help save the planet and help us cre- ate affordable housing. Vis- it https://habitathm.ca/do- nate./#donate-stuff for more information. • Identify land opportu- nities. Help us identify any vacant, abandoned or un- derused land or properties that could be repurposed for affordable housing. Everyone deserves a de- cent place to call home. To- gether, we can build a stron- ger future for the next gen- eration. Eden Grodzinski is the CEO of Habitat for Hu- manity Halton-Mississau- ga-Dufferin. She can be reached at www.habi- tathm.ca. AFFORDABLE HOUSING ESSENTIAL TO CANADA'S RECOVERY OPINION PANDEMIC HAS SHED A LIGHT ON HOUSING INEQUALITIES, WRITES EDEN GRODZINSKI EDEN GRODZINSKI Column