Affordability for Everyone
Making Life More Affordable
The cost-of-living crisis impacts all of us – individuals, families, and seniors. You see it whenever you buy groceries, buy lumber to fix your fence, or pay your insurance bill.
I know that we can do more to make life easier for Edmontonians who are struggling with the cost of living. I will build a Stronger Edmonton where seniors are supported, parents have childcare, renters are treated fairly, and families can afford to access the services they rely on.
If elected as your Mayor, I won't make false promises. I will protect and expand core services you need most while implementing a realistic plan to get our City budget under control.
My Affordability Plan has three components:
Making Life More Affordable for Kids, Seniors and Families
Supporting a Strong, Safe and Affordable Public Transit System
Protecting Core Services and Investing in What Matters Most
Making life more affordable for individuals, families and seniors
Edmontonians are struggling. We are seeing record food bank use. Youth unemployment is high, especially for young men. We need to protect services that prevent everyday Edmontonians from falling through the cracks, and ensure the affordability of City services you rely on. If elected as your Mayor I will work to:
Make transit and recreation services more affordable for low-income Edmontonians and Seniors
Protect and expand access to subsidized city recreation and transit programs to reach 100,000 Edmontonians that count on them.
Explore expanding program access to students and other groups in need.
Create a digital one-stop “Affordability Access” program ensuring a streamlined online intake for subsidized recreation and transit passes. Build a digital intake that pre-screens for the Leisure Access Program and the Ride Transit Program that auto-renews when possible.
Add assisted-application days at libraries and mobile sign-up pop-ups at LRT stations and shelters.
Make the Winter Months Easier for Seniors
Instead of ticketing seniors that can’t clear their sidewalks, I will make the Assisted Snow Removal Pilot permanent and double its capacity to make the winter more affordable for more seniors.
Prioritize sidewalks linking seniors’ housing to bus stops, crossings, and clinics, and coordinate timing of snow removals with ETS schedules.
Bundle sign-up for the program into the one-stop intake and allow neighbours and community organizations to refer eligible seniors.
Increase the Availability of Childcare across the City
Access to childcare is crucial for families, allowing parents to get to work and work the hours they need to make ends meet.
Prioritize options to “fast-track” permits for licensed childcare and reduce costs to city fees for non-profit providers.
Explore using civic buildings to support child care providers struggling to find a commercial space.
Take action to deliver food security for Edmontonians
Develop an action plan using the tools in our jurisdiction to increase food security and access.
Use all the tools and incentives we have to increase access to full line grocers in low-access areas of the city.
Reinstate and expand community gardens, with a focus on underserved areas.
Create food hubs through community partnerships and make sure good food that would otherwise get thrown out by retailers is redirected to food banks.
Map community resources available to address food insecurity.
Empower and support renters
Implement actions within the City’s jurisdiction such as business licenses and a landlord registry to improve support and protection for renters.
Develop a targeted program under the problem properties initiative focused on multiunit residential - with a focus on health and safety, increased enforcement and compliance.
Support landlords that reduce displacement and increase safety.
Support a Strong, Safe and Affordable Public Transit System
A safe and reliable transit system is essential to an affordable and environmentally sustainable city. Next to housing costs, transportation is one of a household’s largest expenses. That’s why an effective and reliable public transit system is essential.
Transit should keep up with the city’s growth. Our investments in transit should also be aligned with housing development. Intensifying development along transit corridors makes the most of our investments, reduces strain on infrastructure and reduces household transportation costs for individuals and families.
Transit Oriented Development connects people to opportunities. It brings homes, jobs, and the services you need closer to transit. If elected Mayor, I will:
Support and Increase Transit Oriented Housing and Development
Continue to support rezoning along current and future mass transit corridors, to enable more homes while reducing land speculation on a smaller number of sites. Review city-owned land to make available to support affordable transit-oriented housing development. Expedite development of Exhibition Lands.
Incentivise student oriented housing along transit.
Increase data collection and reporting on the overall affordability of housing and transportation across Edmonton.
Make Targeted Investments in Strengthening Our Transit System
I will make sure transit service meets the needs of new communities, while increasing and restoring conventional bus service to the neighborhoods that need it.
Improve transit connectivity by adding more city-wide express routes.
Improve service frequency, especially during off-peak hours, to better serve suburban and developing areas.
Accelerate the digitalization of the ARC card. Explore the creation of a fare payment app, similar to the PRESTO app in Toronto.
Implement enhanced cleaning and beautification initiatives for all transit centres, transit vehicles, and transit facilities.
Increase the Safety and Vibrancy of Transit
Increase investment in transit safety to align with the population growth and the growth in the transit system.
Apply Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles to new transit stations, and explore the application of CPTED principles to high incident stations.
Incorporate a public health approach to social disorder in transit centres.
Increase opportunities for local businesses and community activations in transit centres to encourage vibrancy and improve perceptions of safety.
Develop a station attendant program to improve perceptions of safety and vibrancy.
Prepare for Growth
Ensure the transit system is prepared to grow as our city grows. Including improved service from the YEG Airport to Downtown, accelerating the development of Coliseum station and advocate for city-building projects like the extension of the Metro Line LRT to Castledowns.
Protecting and Investing in What Matters Most to Edmontonians
Cities are the order of government closest to people. I know you rely on core services like libraries, transit, fire, roads, snow clearing and recreation centres to keep your family safe, teach your kids to read, travel to work and school, and stay healthy.
I will make sure we squeeze every dollar you pay in property taxes, protect the services you rely on, and ensure those services are accessible to all communities.
I will also lead the City to take action on the timely maintenance of the infrastructure those services require, and only build the things we need most.
Protect public services - no roll back or privatization of core services
We need to ensure that we are maintaining, not eroding service levels over time. You shouldn’t be paying more and getting less.
We will systematically look for efficiencies to make sure the City is delivering services as cost effectively as possible.
Service levels and costs will be benchmarked against other cities and organizations to ensure that Edmontonians are getting value for money.
I will ensure that public services you count on stay public.
Invest in what matters most to you
The city needs to invest in what matters. That means fire stations, police stations, but also small scale community amenities like dog parks and ice rinks.
Ensure that new growth projects align with the needs of residents.
Seek efficiencies by co-locating amenities such as libraries, recreation centres and play grounds and work with the provincial government to leverage the School Construction Accelerator Program to increase park and recreation facilities cost effectively.
Take care of the assets we have
The City hasn’t kept up with maintaining the assets we have in past budget cycles. This is putting pressure on our operating budget as we maintain aging infrastructure. Deferred maintenance becomes more costly maintenance.
Establish a dedicated renewal fund to ensure we have the resources to maintain our assets, address crumbling infrastructure and protect the amenities people count on for affordable fitness and recreation.