Housing — from rent to availability to homelessness — top concern for these voters

Local politicians need to do more to address the housing needs of people in Waterloo region, many local voters say.

That doesn't mean focus on homelessness, though.

CBC Kitchener-Waterloo stopped people on the street to ask about their top concerns for this month's municipal election, and they say there are a number of issues:

Of the roughly 375 people who filled out a municipal election survey on the CBC K-W website, 66 per cent listed housing and homelessness as one of their top concerns.

John Clifford of Cambridge says he wants to see better strategies to help people experiencing homelessness in the city.

"It has become an issue in downtown Cambridge and Cambridge in general and it seems like more and more, they're being left to their own," he said.

"Ways to change that perception would be appreciated, especially in the downtown core as a small business owner, because our goal is to get people down here."

He said he'd like to see the city and region work with grassroots initiatives to make a real difference.

"It would be nice to find long-term ways to help them and not just quick fixes," he said.

"Every year it seems to be that there's more and more [people experiencing homelessness] coming into this community and there doesn't seem to be the necessary resources to help them to take the step out, instead of just moving them around."

Julie Ellis, a single mother from Kitchener, cited the high cost of living, particularly in housing, as a top concern. 

"It's a worry whether or not I can keep my home, pay my bills. Winter is coming, I know I'm in an older building at the moment and heating is going to go through the roof, the cost of my mortgage has already gone up. Maintenance fees go up. Everything goes up except for wages," she said.

She admits she's not sure what local politicians may be able to do about it, but would like to see them work with other levels of government to advocate for rental caps and other ways to make life more affordable.

"I am sitting in a beautiful park today. I am aware that there are some tent homes here. We have a homeless issue in the city," she said.