October 24, 2022 5:59am
One of the guest speakers at this week’s Rural2Rural conference at the Four Winds Barn in Brussels also chaired a panel discussion on the need for housing in rural Ontario and the need for attitudes to change so the particular housing needs can be met.
Nancy Orr, of Orr and Associates, says all of us have a connection to housing needs and it’s important to make sure people understand that.
“Whether it’s because you have aging parents that have nowhere to down size to, or you have children that live at home that have nowhere to go because they can’t afford somewhere, or you’re aging and you hope you can find a PSW that can find a home in your community to take care of you or we’re just hanging to the house that we have. We all have that connection,” Orr said.
And Orr believes people are beginning to realize that every time they oppose a solution, they’re actually hurting themselves.
“When applications come in, you absolutely hear the loud voices of the direct neighbours. But sometimes we need to reflect on the benefits of the entire community. Is this good for everybody and not just a couple of loud voices that you hear,” she said.
Higher density buildings can be constructed in a way that they blend very well into the communities around them Orr pointed out. But she said not enough of those buildings have been constructed in rural communities, so people in those communities have not had the opportunity to see enough of them to be comfortable with them. But she adds, it is coming.
