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4-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday May 25, 2004 Survey shows lack of affordable housing in Halton Recent resuits confirm that problem is only getting worse By ANGELA BLACKBURN much headway and there's a definite shortage of atiordable bous- ing. That was among the findings of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) 2004 Report on Quality of Lite in tJrban Canada. Halton Region was one of 20) municipalities that partici- pated in the survey. The detaila were released carlier tiis montb via telephone con- ference by Edmonton Councillor Michael Phair, who cbaired the commiuttee that authored the report. 1. I iiiUinlliciplmil i at..À.uîit ti i40 K cent of Canada's population. According to the FCM, which will use the report's ftndings to lobby for government policy and funding changes, the quality of lufe in Canada's urban centres is at risk. In Haiton, population diversity is one of the most noticeable changea, sad Mr. Phair. The population bas increased by nearly 20 per cent while Canada's rate increased by nearly 10 per cent. Immigration comprised nearly 23 per cent of the population ___ __ ___ __ OOFn New Transit Service Communlty Open House & Information Centre The Community Services Department invites you to par ticipate in a Community Open House regarding proposed changes to the existing transit systemn. The current dial-a-bus service wilI b. replaced by an expanded transit service, which wiII include service for new subdivisions in Milton and improvemnents to the existing GO feeder routes. At this Open House, you wili b. able to share your opinions on three new proposed transit routes, GO feeder routes and daily transit schedules. Dame: Location: Tuesday, June 1, 2004 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. (drop-in) 6:30 p.m. (presentation and discussion) Hugh Foster Hall 5M Brown Street <Next to Town Hall> Proposed Transit Routes increase compared to the Canadian average of just over 18 per cent. "We also continue to see a fairly significant income gap. There are people who do very well, and there are very many in lialton but for thnse at the lower end of the wale, there-'s not been There's also a definite need for affordable housing in Halton, said Mr. Phair. "One of the reasons Halton continues to be a great place to live and work is because of the partnerships between our govemments, corporate sector, community agencies and residents," said Halton Regional Chair Joyce Savoline. "However, Halton faces similar challenges with the rest of Canadian municipalities in terms of poverty and affordable hous- ing. If we are to sustain our quality of life, we need to engage the provincial and federal governments to step forward and work with us to address these issues," said Ms Savoline. The Region will now set about doing, and then presenting to the public, a more in-depth analysis of Halton's data. 'Me report is based on six quality of life factors: local economy, natural environment; personal goals and aspirations; fairneas and equity; basic needs; and social inclusion. Subsequent reports will be published later this year with in- depth analysis of many of the topics. Despite the areas of concem, the report finds most citizens in Halton enjoy a high standard of living, thanks to declining unem- pînyment rates and increasing incnme levels, with the exception of those at the lower end of the income scale. In addition, Halton's economy bas been consistently strong, as evidenced by an increase in new business and a decline in bank- ruptcies. The report ftnds that, across Canada, and in Halton, despite gen- eral improvements in rates of post-secondary education, employ- ment growtb and borne ownersbip, quality of life deteriorated for a growing number of people during the 1 990s. In addition, improvements in income and poverty rates since 1996 bave been offset by a growing income gap, housing afford- ability problems and changes to social programs. Surveyed cities across Canada included Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Québec Metropolitan Community, Regina, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Surveyed Ontario municipalities included: Halton region, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Peel region, Sudbury, Toronto, Waterloo region, Windsor, and York region. The FCM began conducting this study witb 16 municipalities in 1999. That bas grown to 20 compnising some of Canada's largest cittes and suburbs in seven provinces. The ftrst report looked at the social effects of the economic recession of the early 1990s. *se. REPORT on page 10 PORT PARTUM I4EALT14( CLAg.gLg MR MOTI4FR ýeA comprehensive educational & exercise program t0 srestore strength & control of your back and pelvic mus- cles. 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