On December 3, Help Support Two Key Projects As They Come to Council
A deeply affordable low-income housing project in Bowness and a transit-oriented development project at Glenmore Landing are both at risk of failing.
Howdy Neighbour! Before we dive in, a small update from More Neighbours Calgary: We are now able to accept donations! If you believe in what we are doing, want to support more pro-housing events and initiatives in Calgary, consider sending us a few bucks: You can e-transfer to info@moreneighbourscalgary.ca for now - more ways to support us coming soon!
Over the past year, we’ve heard certain councillors say time and again as they vote against housing initiatives: What we really want is transit-oriented development, and low-income housing.
Well, here we are. This Tuesday, December 3 (and possibly into Wednesday, December 4), council will hold a public hearing for two key projects that are exactly what councillors have been asking for.
A deeply affordable low-income housing project in Bowness (commonly known as the “Trellis” project)
A large, mixed-market transit-oriented development project at Glenmore Landing.
And somehow, both of these projects are both at risk of being voted down by a group of gatekeepers on city council. We need your voice of reason: please sign up to speak in favour of these projects at city council, either by phone or in person.
You can read our guide (ignore the rezoning-specific stuff) on how to sign up and speak.
Trellis is Building Truly Affordable Housing in Bowness
At our “Non-Market Housing 101” event on Saturday, we heard from Trellis about their affordable housing project in Bowness. We heard about the challenges they have faced getting the project going. How they plan to support a playground space in the community just down the street. How they adapted their building to accommodate on-site parking (despite many of their prospective residents falling well below the poverty line). How they shortened their building height and adapted their units based on feedback from the community.
Despite these changes, there is concern that council will once again go against it’s own housing strategy and vote against the project. This would be devastating for the residents of Bowness and Calgary who desperately need this type of housing, and for the not-for-profit Trellis itself, who have sunk thousands of hours and dollars into this project.
Please consider signing up to speak on December 3. The item is 7.2.24.
At Glenmore Landing, Thoughtful Transit-Oriented Development
Another item up for public hearing on Tuesday is the Glenmore Landing development. The proposed development would transform the landing into a vibrate, transit-oriented development centered around the hard-fought-for Southwest BRT and transitway project. Fully built out (this is but Phase 1) the site will accommodate over 1,100 units. This is good for transit ridership and for welcoming more neighbours into our midst.
These developments are absolutely critical if we want to have any chance of keeping up with the demand for housing and improving affordability. By our math of needing to build ~70 homes a day in Calgary, a fully-built Glenmore Landing will accommodate about 15 days.
It’s a drop in the bucket - but an important one.
Please consider signing up to speak on December 3. The item is 7.2.21.
Hi Willem, I don't think I can show up unfortunately but I could at least send in a comment to support the Glenmore Landing project.
However, I honestly don't know what to say that would be acceptable. I'd LIKE to say that a bunch of nimbys who are well organized and well funded have a myriad of objections, ALL of which are complete nonsense. And I don't share any of their concerns.
To say that I support it because I believe in density, it makes sense given it's part of a transit hub and it will help with the development of other businesses just sounds so lame.
Any suggestions?
Susan Quinn