Real Estate: Make it Your Resolution to Become a Voice for Accessible and Affordable Housing

Barbara Kennedy, President of Changing Gears, has become a Halton Voice for Housing Choices and would like you to consider doing the same in your own Canadian community.

Voices for Housing Choices is a panel of community members who help to put a human face on Halton’s housing needs by sharing personal housing stories with the Halton community. This initiative supports the implementation of Halton’s Comprehensive Housing Strategy (CHS) by promoting and championing inclusive, affordable and accessible housing choices in Halton Region, Ontario.

This project involves people of all incomes and stages of life across the housing continuum – from homelessness and emergency shelter to supportive and assisted housing to apartment living and market housing.

How may you share your story within your own community?

1. Speak up at public events, write an article for your local newspaper or take a few photos of homelessness, inaccessible areas in your public washrooms, leading in and out of your home, restaurants, etc.

2. Speak to a local realtor trained in accessibility housing add-on options to find out whether or not your home may be suitable for you now and in the future. Will you be able to stay there should your needs change?

This realtor will be able to assess your current home, suggest modifications that will make your home easier and safer to live in or help you to select a new home to meet all of your future needs.

3. If you are thinking about downsizing and wish builders would tell you up front about all of the options that are available to new homes being built, call your Mayor and local MP and ask that these be added to your wish list?

Easy things to do during construction phase and at a fraction of the cost are:

- Reinforcing bathroom walls to make adding on hand rails a simple task.

- Widening bathroom entranceways to accommodate future walker and/or wheelchair.

- Designing main floor powder room floor size to accommodate future full bathroom for visiting family members, friends or your own changing needs.

4. Visit your local Home Depot and ask them for suggestions on what products they currently carry on making your home more accessible should the need arise for yourself or someone you know.

5. If your rent is getting too high and there is no where else in your own community that you can afford to live in, call your Mayor and local MP and inquire about your options?

6. Speak to your landlord or builder about concerns you have for your own current housing situation to see what they can do.

7. Speak up for your lack of access, or for a friend, wherever it may be.

8. If you will be retiring in the next 5 - 10 years and are already concerned about the rising cost of housing and related expenses once you are on a more fixed income, call your Mayor and local MP and voice your concerns?

9. If you think laws should be passed to guarantee that anything new that is built has to be accessible to all, call your Mayor and local MP to find out if this is already in the works or if not, why not?

Barbara Kennedy
Changing Gears Inc.

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