On Monday, Sept. 23, CUSA’s Advocacy Team, led by Artur Estrela da Silva and Aidan Kallioinen, welcomed Ottawa West–Nepean MPP Chandra Pasma and staff to Haven Cafe in Old Ottawa South.
With MPP Pasma, we discussed the state of student homelessness and the rising costs of housing in Ottawa, citing student feedback and citywide statistics. We shared students’ concerns around rent prices, transportation access, malicious landlord practices, and the challenges of on-campus (residence) housing.
CUSA also highlighted the recent success of last year’s By-Election, in which a referendum was passed to increase funding for the Unified Support Centre’s Food Hamper Program, The program saw a 300% uptick in use over the last year, and we spoke to MPP Pasma about the need for provincial support for on-campus and city food banks to address issues of food insecurity, particularly among our international student community.
MPP Pasma shared the Ontario NDP’s plan to address province-wide issues of supply and housing cost as indicated in the Homes Ontario report, as well as expressed a desire for affordable and not-for-profit housing near campuses. We also discussed the work being done to advocate for reinstated rent control and proactive enforcement of malicious landlord practices by the province.
Pasma’s team also shared the work of Bhutila Karpoche, MPP for Parkdale—High Park, and her report to address wider food insecurity issues in the province.
We look forward to working with MPP Chandra Pasma and her team to deliver real results on housing and food security issues here in Ottawa and for Carleton undergraduate students.