Laurier’s International Women’s Day Luncheon tackles housing solutions for a better future

March 21, 2024

Properly addressing Canada’s housing crisis requires holistic, community-centered solutions and engagement from all levels of government.

That was the message a panel of Wilfrid Laurier University women shared with over 100 attendees during the seventh annual International Women’s Day luncheon, hosted by the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association and International Women’s Forum Waterloo Chapter.

Held at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum on March 7, the theme of this year’s luncheon was “Women Finding Housing Solutions for a Better Future.” The event kicked off with a keynote address by Laurier President and Vice-Chancellor Deborah MacLatchy, followed by a panel discussion among Laurier women working to address the housing crisis in communities across Canada.

MacLatchy highlighted several Laurier-led initiatives to support students who are impacted by the housing crisis, including guaranteed residence for first-year undergraduate students; the Laurier Off-Campus University Students (LOCUS) program; the Laurier Student Emergency Fund, which can cover first and last month’s rent for students facing financial challenges; and the university’s partnership with Spaces Shared, an online platform that pairs students looking for affordable accommodations with older adults who have extra space in their homes.

MacLatchy also spoke about longer-term, sustainable solutions for student housing, including Laurier’s participation as part of the Town and Gown Student Housing Taskforce, which is gathering data on the housing needs of students in Waterloo Region.

“Without affordable and stable housing options, students’ ability to fully engage in their academics and thrive in their university experience is compromised,” said MacLatchy. “It requires a community-centered approach if we are to find long-lasting solutions.”

Panelist and Laurier alum Sarah Gillies (MAP ’22) noted that housing is a primary social determinant of health, yet there continues to be significant inequities in housing systems. In her role as housing stabilization and interim support manager with Wellington County, Gillies sees challenges in working to address homelessness in a two-tiered municipality, but also opportunity in collaborating with city and health service partners.

“We should continuously challenge stigmas associated with homelessness, instill community-based values, find points of commonality, and bring diversity to the table when discussing solutions,” she said.

Panelist Laura Pin, assistant professor of Political Science at Laurier, echoed the need to take a collaborative, person-centered approach to finding solutions to the housing crisis, noting that housing touches upon many sectors, from social supports to economic policy and health care.

“What’s needed (for housing solutions) is a holistic approach that involves many sectors,” said Pin. “Initiating change at the policy level can seem daunting, but getting involved with what’s happening locally can make a difference.”

Third-year Political Science major Jordan Prentice rounded out the panel. As the founder of Kuponya Innovations, Prentice has been working in northern communities to create affordable and sustainable transitional tiny homes. She emphasized the importance of listening to people with lived experiences of housing precarity and homelessness before coming up with solutions.

“Kuponya is focused on building strong relationships with the communities we are supporting,” said Prentice. “We co-create solutions with communities.”