Two contenders in the Ottawa mayoral race unveiled their policy proposals on Thursday as the city marks a significant juncture leading up to the October election. This period signifies the onset of the blackout phase, commencing 60 days before the voting day, aimed at maintaining a separation between municipal affairs and electoral campaigns.
Neil Saravanamuttoo disclosed a housing initiative on Thursday, advocating for an increase in the city’s public housing sector to elevate the proportion of non-market housing units from five to 10 percent. He emphasized that solely relying on the private market is insufficient to address the middle-class housing crisis, asserting that shelter is a vital need that cannot be left entirely to market dynamics.
To achieve this, Saravanamuttoo proposed constructing 25,000 to 30,000 new housing units, leveraging Ottawa Community Housing’s ARRIV Properties division, which specializes in affordable middle-class housing rather than deeply subsidized rent-geared-to-income units. Despite a waiting list of over 16,000 individuals for subsidized units, he highlighted the city’s financial constraints in expanding such housing stock.
The candidate clarified that the public housing option he outlined would incur zero costs for taxpayers, contrasting it with the higher financial burden associated with subsidized social housing. He underscored that these public units would shield tenants from abrupt rent hikes and evictions, offering affordability due to their non-profit nature and utilization of public lands.
Saravanamuttoo emphasized the need for substantial loans, potentially amounting to billions, to facilitate Ottawa Community Housing’s expansion through ARRIV. While acknowledging the risks posed by loan guarantees, he expressed confidence in the revenue stream generated by these developments to cover expenses without imposing additional costs on taxpayers.
In a separate development, Alex Lawson unveiled his jobs and growth strategy, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to job losses, especially with impending federal downsizing. He stressed the importance of diversifying Ottawa’s economy to reduce dependence on a single industry, advocating for enhanced data collection on the local labor market to inform strategic interventions.
Lawson proposed initiatives such as a real-time labor market data system, a platform for career guidance (termed “career pathways Ottawa”), and policies to incentivize workforce development and fair wages for city contractors. Additionally, he outlined plans to attract more employers by creating a public inventory of available service land and integrating workforce considerations into city contract evaluations.
The blackout period, effective as of Thursday, imposes restrictions on incumbent council members from engaging in overt campaigning activities or utilizing public resources for promotional purposes. Notably, this regulation impacts the current mayor, Sutcliffe, and the councilor for Kitchissippi ward, Leiper, in the mayoral race. Moreover, it prohibits city councilors from spending ward funds, disseminating city-funded materials, or updating their official profiles during this period.
Candidates running unopposed, such as River ward Coun. Riley Brockington and Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown, are exempt from these restrictions. This measure aims to ensure a level playing field by preventing incumbents from leveraging their official status for electoral advantages during the campaign phase.