INCLUSIONARY Index
The simple concept is that it is a way of rewarding neighbourhoods that have higher ratios of affordable housing.
My thinking developed in conjunction with the City Policy C601's development arc (when I was in Housing and Homelessness at the City) in which it is mandated that all neighbourhoods across Edmonton shall have an aspirational target of 16% affordable housing. We had metrics on the affordable housing ratio in each neighbourhood, so we know which areas can "step up" and still not get stressed with affordable housing’s "concentration of poverty" issues. So how do we get to working with the residents in those neighbourhoods?
So I thought, "...what if that metric on the ration of affordable housing were part of something new that we could call an Inclusivity Index? Much like a Walkability Index, the higher the ratio, the greater the Inclusivity. And what if City neighbourhood improvement priorities were set according to that Inclusivity Index? High Inclusivity Index neighbourhoods are prioritized for revitalization, for new park improvements such as spray parks and landscaping, for snow clearing and roadway repairs, for funding for new initiatives like the pavilions in parks, and for any number of other incentives that the City can offer for expedited and prioritized services. That way, the conversation tide might be turned so that there is incentive to welcome affordable housing into neighbourhoods. And the City budget allocation can be used as a tool for affordable housing!
I have encountered a lot of neighbourhood resistance to affordable housing developments during the public consultation and engagement phase (which manifests at Council Public Hearings as the negative emotions). One observation is the question of "what's in it for us existing residents? We are losing our space, our way of community, and the value of our properties!" So what is the carrot that an affordable housing provider can offer to the neighbors beyond the placating words of "it's good for the community, it builds community capacity, a mixed demographic means resilience and robustness."?
I believe the answer is in the Green Violin Way. We enter a community as a neighbour and we work with the community on its neighbourhood housing in a manner that is compassionate, understanding and sustainable. The Inclusionary Index is reward for Green Violin’s attitude and its positive results.
