The affordable/attainable housing file in the Town of The Blue Mountains remains in limbo after council voted to delay the implementation of a new committee to work on the issue.
At its meeting on Sept. 9, council voted against taking immediate steps to adopt terms of reference for the new Blue Mountains Attainable/Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, which is supposed to replace the Blue Mountains Attainable Housing Corporation.
Instead, council voted to delay consideration of the terms of reference until the next committee of the whole cycle in October and after a Grey County report on a regional approach to housing issues is released on Sept. 12.
The delay means that town staff are unable to advertise for public members to serve on the new committee.
The decision to delay the matter passed in a 4-2 vote with Mayor Andrea Matrosovs and Coun. Shawn McKinlay opposed. Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon was absent.
Council previously made the decision to delay the matter at its committee of the whole meeting on August 26 – the same day council had also voted to declare a “housing crisis” in the town.
Matrosovs and McKinlay were absent from the August 26 meeting and it was McKinlay who pushed for immediate adoption of the terms of reference when the issue reached the council table on Sept. 9.
“How much farther down the line does this shove the decision to dissolve the (attainable housing corporation) board?” McKinlay asked. “I’d like to know the advantages of waiting.”
McKinlay argued that council could immediately approve the terms of reference, start recruitment for committee members and then make adjustments to how the committee operates if such changes are warranted after the county report on housing is released.
In June, council narrowly voted in favour of a plan to dissolve the housing corporation and replace it with the new advisory committee. The corporation’s board of directors – made up of town staff and Matrosovs and McKinlay – were then tasked by council with drafting the terms of reference for the new committee.
McKinlay said the board has completed the work and there was no reason for a delay.
“We need to remain focused on what is at hand,” said McKinlay.
However, other members of council said it would be premature to move forward with the committee before seeing the county report.
“I can understand your frustration,” Coun. Paula Hope told McKinlay. “We need to coordinate before we do anything. We don’t want to accept terms of reference at odds with Grey County.”
