Poverty and Homelessness Action Week All Candidates Forum Questions

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week All Candidates Forum
Answers from Council Candidate Michele Rule

What have you done in the community to address issues of poverty and homelessness?
I have been involved for over 6 years on the Poverty and Homelessness Action Team of the Central Okanagan, first as a liason from the City's housing committee, then as an executive member and now as an ex-officio executive member. I sit on the provinical Sustainable Community Parterships Committee, bringing business and community together to solve homelessness. I am also a member of the Central Okanagan Healthy Food Council.

What role do you think the city could/should play in doing more to address poverty and homelessness?
I think the city has two roles. Firstly, to advocate to other levels of government about the needs of our community. We are the level of government closest to the ground and should have the best understanding of what our issues are. Secondly it is vital that the city be prepared to partner with other levels of government and NGOs to provide housing and other services.

The city has a role in economic development. What are you prepared to do to encourage development of employment opportunities that would provide a living wage for Kelowna’s citizens?
The city currently supports the Economic Development Commission financially. The EDC is mandated to increase high quality employment opportunities and I would continue to support this. Council can also act as an advocate to have minumum wages increased and to provide the necessary increases to welfare and disability rates.

How do you plan to increase child care spaces in Kelowna?
I support rezoning and density bonuses that would provide child care facilities in both residentail and commercial developments. I will continue to support child care initiatives through the Women's Advisory Committee and partnerships with groups such as CATCH.

What would you be prepared to do to improve conditions for people with special needs and vulnerable women and men?
I will continue to be actively involved in groups like PHATCO and also the council committees that are working on these issues, such as the Women's Advisory Committee and the Committee for People with Disabilities. Council is in a position to actively lobby the provincial government for increases in welfare and disability allowances and the provincial and federal governments for the creation of more core-need housing

Would you support the food charter? Why or why not?
I absolutely support the City of Kelowna adopting the food charter. I have been actively involved in the Healthy Food Council for the past few years. It is more and more important that cities become resilient in the face of global food and economic crisis and enshiring food policy into documents like the OCP is the best way to alleviate poverty and strengthen the economy, enhancing urban food security and health.

How would you improve transportation options in Kelowna?
Over the past three years I have continuously supported budget increases for transit expansion, bicycle paths and pedestrian routes. I believe that this is the best way to improve our environment and improve the health of our citizens, and it also saves tax dollars as these items are much cheaper than building new roads.

If you are elected, what would be your first priority?
My first priority will be enacting the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Task Force of which I was a member. Theses recommendations include creating a housing authority, enacting density bonuses for affordable housing and making changes to the OCP to allow for affordable in-fill housing.

What would you do to increase affordable rental options in Kelowna?
With a rental vacancy rate of 0.3%, Kelowna is in dire need of more rental housing. This has been the focus of discussion at our Community Housing Committee for the past six months and a workshop on how to increase rental housing will be hosted by the City in November. Council has already been involved in lobbying the federal government to reinstate the tax incentives for rental housing. Secondary suites and other inovative options like lock-off suites are also important to create adequate supply.

What do you see as the root cause(s) of poverty?
There are a number of root causes of poverty, and most people become impoverished through a combination of these. The most notable are income, education and literacy, early childhood development, health and availability of proper care, and, unfortunately, gender and race. It will take a concentrated effort by all levels of government, business and community to overcome poverty but I believe it can and will happen.