Dear Neighbours,

I hope this finds you enjoying the final weeks of summer. It’s been a busy summer Council cycle, so I have a lot of updates to share with you this month.

Council Updates:

  • After robust deliberations and the consideration of tens of thousands of residents across the city, Council approved an Encampment Protocol last Friday.

    Encampments exist across Hamilton, and they will continue to until there is access to genuinely affordable housing. A lack of housing and access to services for our most vulnerable neighbours remains the greatest problem. This city-wide protocol addresses the needs of unhoused neighbours by increasing access to washrooms and showers, while creating clear guidelines on sharing public spaces, and offers a greater system of support to transition to housing; it calls on the City to assure dignity and housing-first solutions. Residents can expect more resources being deployed to respond to concerns, and more street and park clean-up. Housing-first approaches means, too, that Housing Outreach workers will be the first contact with unsheltered individuals. We ask that all are patient as staff work quickly, compassionately, and in collaboration with our partners to get it implemented. Concerned citizens can still contact the coordinated response teams at unsheltered@hamilton.ca and 905-546-2828.

    If you would like more details about the Protocol, you can contact us at ward3@hamilton.ca

  • Gender-Based & Intimate-Partner Violence was declared an epidemic in the City of Hamilton after support by Council for the motion I put forward with Mayor Horwath. Gender-based violence is experienced by 1000s monthly, 100s weekly and by the dozens daily in Hamilton. Hamilton now joins 40 other municipalities across Ontario in declaring this epidemic. We are also calling on the provincial government to provide adequate and sustainable funding to the violence against women sector, and for the federal government to add femicide to the Criminal Code of Canada. Big thank you to the Woman Abuse Working Group member agencies, your staff and volunteers. We join you in the call #NotOneMore!
  • Council unanimously called on the Premier of Ontario to abandon his plans to remove lands from the Greenbelt within Hamilton, as after a thorough investigation, the independent Ontario Auditor General found that the process used was heavily influenced by a small group of well-connected developers who now stand to make billions of dollars, and the Greenbelt land is not needed to meet the Government’s own housing targets. Please add your input regarding the three areas of the Greenbelt impacted in Hamilton at https://tinyurl.com/u6zerv
  • A Reduced Speed Limit Pilot was approved by Council to reduce the speed limit on Wentworth St N, near Cathy Wever Elementary School, to 30km/hr to be implemented this September. This data-based pilot will help assess application for similar pilots or permanent speed reductions for school zones on other arterial roads (which are not currently eligible). Thank you to all neighbours who worked with my office to achieve this much desired community safety measure.
  • A Mental Health Street Outreach Partnership has been approved to begin at the HPL Barton Branch. The Public Health Committee approved expanding the partnership with Hamilton Public Library for social workers to assist in meeting the complex needs of community members who are experiencing complex social and health needs, and to build capacity within the library system to provide enhanced mental health services.
  • Thanks to the robust input of our neighbours who rent, led by the efforts of ACORN Hamilton and other community partners, my Council colleagues and I amended a few clauses to create a new suite of municipal bylaws to preserve and protect affordable rental housing & tenants, from the Safe Apartment Bylaw, to the Vital Services Bylaw, with an expansion of the Tenant Defense Fund. The “anti-renovictions” by-law will be deliberated in October. I cannot stress enough the value of community-based collaboration and resident engagement.

    The next Ward 3 Office pop-up is scheduled for Thursday, September 21 from 4pm-6pm at Pinch Bakery & Plant Shop (183 Sherman Ave. N). Light refreshments will be provided. I look forward to connecting with you and offering access to the support of my team soon! Until then, please contact my office at ward3@hamilton.ca or call 905-546-2702.

Yours in community,

Councillor Nrinder Nann