Housing for All: Lessons Learned from Our Community

Event Details

Event type: All Ages

Housing for All

Registration                                                                                                                        8:30-9:00am 

Welcoming Remarks:                                                                                                           9:00-9:20am   

Newcomer Experiences of Housing in Huron & Perth                                                               9:20-9:30 am

Panel Discussion: Defining Innovation in Housing                                                                   9:30-10:30 am

This panel discussion will invite you to think about key concepts and principles that build strong foundations for innovative housing solutions. We will focus on design principles, take a land-based approach to problem solving and think critically about the social and community impacts that housing models have on people and their families. You won’t want to miss this engaging and informed discussion with experts doing this work broadly. 

Huron County Planning Department Updates                                                                         10:30-11:00am

SRPC – Housing Report

Keynote Address                                                                                                                  11:00am -12:00pm

Research has demonstrated the strong relationship between health and one’s housing situation. UHN has been working to integrate health care services with community-based support to better support people with complex needs, experiencing homelessness, and who consistently use hospital and emergency services. This keynote offers an explanation into the ways that the homelessness crisis is in fact also a health crisis and will highlight the pressing need for stable housing solutions that offer integrated health care services. 

Lunch & Table Displays                                                                                                         12:00-1:30pm

Afternoon Session 1 (Choose 1)                                                                                            1:30-2:30pm

Outside In & Inside Out

The physical environments that we enjoy, inside or outside, influence the way we live our lives and how we enjoy the spaces around us. Join this session to discover how universal design principles actually expand the amount of space and movement we can experience within our homes. This presentation will also discuss the social, physical and community impacts of designing spaces that are accessible and universal for all.  

Quality vs. Quantity: Why Choose?

Deeply affordable housing, in its current form, often requires investors and builders to compromise quality for quantity. However, when ALL means ALL, do we have to choose? This session dives into the innovative ways we can design and build housing that offers the same quality of living to families from all walks of life and offers insights into how that can improve social and economic outcomes for people in Huron County. 

Welcoming Spaces

Neighbourhoods are at the heart of our communities. They are where we can build life-long friendships, grow our businesses and create safe places for our children to play. This is all possible when housing infrastructure is designed to nurture a sense of community for people of all ages. Join this session to identify aspects of community that must be critically considered in order to build housing where a sense of community can thrive. 

Afternoon Session 2 (Choose 1)                                                                                               2:30-3:30 pm 

Connected Communities: Reducing Trade-offs 

At the heart of rural living is wide open spaces, thriving industries and the opportunity to enjoy nature in ways other parts of Ontario can only dream of. However, with these incredible assets comes some community challenges. This session recognizes the need to improve the ways small towns access community resources, services, jobs and acknowledges the challenge for many when it comes to transportation. Join this session to discuss how we might design future community plans with the goal of reducing isolation and instead, creatively increase the connections within and between rural communities in Huron County. 

Knowledge Sharing: Culturally Competent Housing 

Ongoing community conversations are required for building safe and culturally competent housing strategies. With many people, practicing a variety of transitions and holding many worldviews within Huron County, it is important to create safe spaces for community members to have ongoing discussions about what they need. Join this session to participate in a community-wide talking circle focused on important housing concerns our community is facing. 

Something Completely Different 

We are all interested in innovation and what the future can bring. We now live in a time period where we can expect extreme changes to occur and often without notice. So how might our neighbourhoods and communities change, if we valued our interdependence on one another? How might that change our perspectives on housing, inclusive design and community health and wellbeing? Treat yourself to something completely different and join this cutting-edge discussion that will look at housing challenges through a community development lens! 

Huron County CS&WB Update                                                                                        3:30-3:45

Downtown Revitalization: Toolkit Launch

Closing Remarks: Ryan Erb                                                                                          3:45-4:00pm