Mayoral candidate Keanin Loomis promises to address housing crisis, if elected

There are less than three weeks to go before voters head to the polls to choose their next municipal governments and here in Hamilton the race to the finish is heating up.

Announcing new promises to address Hamilton’s affordable housing shortage today. “My plan starts with dedicating $1 million to address encampments in Hamilton and aiming to build 1,000 new affordable and supportive housing units per year,” Loomis said.

Loomis says those 1,000 affordable units a year are part of his larger pledge to build 50,000 new housing units over the next ten years.

Graham Cubitt of Indwell, a prominent affordable housing developer in Hamilton says today’s announcement at an Indwell property is not an endorsement of Loomis,
but thinks the idea is doable but difficult.

“There’s going to be a need for like clear cooperation at each department and I think that that’s an area where city hall does play an important role,” Cubbit said.

Right now Cubitt says Hamilton builds about 250 affordable units a year, and that’s up over the last five years.

Loomis says achieving the goal means Hamilton needs to dramatically speed up the approval process for all types of housing and to do that he says residential zoning bylaws need to change.

Before the announcement CHCH News spent some time with Loomis, discussing the issues and asking him about his platform and experience.

“When I think about Hamilton’s future, I think about the voice our city needs to move forward,” Loomis said.

To see the extended interview with Keanin Loomis, including how he came to the decision to run for mayor, the many planks of his platform, and his town hall events, where he says he has gained a new perspective on the issues facing the people of our city visit the CHCH News YouTube.