To regulate against vacant investment homes, Horizon Ottawa suggests that the City of Ottawa adopt a Vacant Unit Tax. Homes should not be sitting empty during a housing crisis.
The objective of the Vacant Unit Tax is simple: assure that all units in the City of Ottawa are inhabited. It would allow the city to tackle the housing crisis—in particular, a lack of affordable housing options—while also discouraging the speculative housing purchases that drive up real estate prices.
The following are recommendations for the elected members of City Hall in the lead up to the December 2020 Governance Review.
They provide a pathway to a more democratic city. A city that gives space to its citizens for meaningful participation and that limits the influence of a select group of individuals.
On July 4th, we held a training on how to speak at City Committees. This session, we focused on speaking at the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) meeting where they were considering yet another police budget increase.
Find here, meeting minutes that describe many important points to give context around the meeting as well as more informational tips on how city council committee meetings work.
