Issues

Hamayun Akbar

Affordable Housing

In recent years, the house price increase has put a strain and pressure on parents and young families trying to get on the housing ladder. Considering the limited savings of working-class families, it is almost impossible for them to help their children save for a down payment if they want to buy a house.

In my opinion, the current measures of poverty adopted by the federal and provincial governments create a false impression of poverty, are inaccurate and do not account for the differences between communities in terms of the costs of living.

As a Canadian, I firmly believe the City of Calgary should invest in affordable housing as housing is a fundamental right of every citizen and a necessity. It is of utmost importance that we build more affordable housing, both for rent and purchase, to support our people and economy as a whole.

The City of Calgary sells land to private developers every year but does not set aside a quota for affordable housing in new communities. I believe the City of Calgary should ensure that city-owned housing should be introduced to all new developments as a rent-to-own option, with the ability to buy even in the early stages.

These measures will make it easier for low-income families to rent or own houses directly from the local government at an affordable price. People will benefit from these kinds of measures if they can settle down and focus on other priorities in their lives, like jobs, education for their children, and a sense of ownership.

Some studies have shown that low-income people in Calgary pay 70 percent of their income on housing, and some people spend everything on housing, food, and utilities, leaving nothing for savings.

Among all major Canadian cities, Calgary has the least amount of affordable housing.

It is clear that there are not going to be quick fixes, but we need to consider a significant level of investment in this area.

If I get elected, I will table the motion for subsidy schemes for young people and low-income families who can't afford a down payment.

Green Line & Public Transit

I am in favour of the Green Line Transportation Project. I believe that Ward 3 should be included in the first phase of this project because the public transportation arrangements linking Ward 3 communities to downtown Calgary and other parts of Calgary cannot meet its needs. There is a need for senior citizens and people with low incomes to have access to the services and amenities they need.

With the rise in insurance costs, it becomes even more difficult for working-class people to own cars to commute to work.

Considering that the nearest LRT stations are located very far away from all the communities in Ward 3, it is practically not feasible for residents of Ward 3 to take the LRT.

I will fight hard to ensure that extending the Green Line to Ward 3 is always front and center in all discussions, budgets, and planning; 2) East-west and other rail options for BRT should be extended east to west until the green line is completed.

If I am elected, I will strongly advocate for the expansion of the Green Line Transport Project to include Ward 3 and ensure that funding will be allocated on a priority basis without any bureaucratic delays.

Violence & Crime

I firmly believe that the City of Calgary should allocate more resources to reduce violence and fight against criminal elements through strong bylaws, legal enforcement, and police funding.

There is a large amount of pressure being placed on police and law enforcement agencies due to recent cuts, causing longer wait times for issues to be resolved. We should allocate more resources to frontline services.

To make our ward and city safer, we need to be tough. As well as discrimination and abuse at work, isolated incidents of violence occur from time to time. To make this happen, we have to put in place a zero-tolerance policy against gang violence, domestic abuse, and child abuse.

If I get elected, I will propose to introduce new bylaws, strengthen existing policies, and develop new methods of implementing them to achieve all these we need to put more resources into than cutting police budgets.For any prosperous society we have got to have strong law and order.

Fluoride Water

There are several health benefits of fluoridated water. Several scientific studies, including those conducted by the O'Brien Institute of Public Health at the University of Calgary, have independently examined the effects of water fluoridation on community health.

According to the study, the benefits of fluoride include a 50 percent reduction in the number of hospital admissions for tooth decay surgeries for children and a 37 percent reduction in the number of cavities in children's permanent teeth. The study also claimed that systematic reviews suggested a 35 percent reduction in adult teeth affected by decay and cavities.

To prevent tooth decay, fluoride is very important. In my opinion, it should be our top priority to provide fluoride water because fluoride prevents tooth decay, a fact that has been scientifically proven. We are aware of the fact that dental care can be expensive for those who are less privileged or come from working-class backgrounds.

If I get elected, I will work towards boosting the fluoride water supply in Calgary, advocating that investment in this direction would bring greater health benefits to our people.

Economy, Job & Training

Training in new jobs skills will benefit our City as there is an increasing demand for a workforce with the right skills.

I feel that our city needs more help from the province and the federal governments to help equip our people with the right skills and training in the latest technology and innovative fields that are currently needed because of the current job market conditions.

In the future, we will not see the same level of the oil boom and revenue that we used to get before because of the high demand for oil and gas.

It is essential to create a more robust economy by combining a better mix of skills and investment options, especially in the areas of information technology and renewable energy sources.

In order for the City of Calgary to achieve these investment objectives, it needs to proceed with tax-exempt status for three years with the collaboration of the provincial and federal governments. We contributed a lot to our country's development for decades and now we need help from both levels of governments.These upcoming initiatives need to be implemented right away instead of raising taxes on the working class each year.

To reduce unnecessary long delays in processing applications and permits, we should ensure that our young people and small businesses have no reason to seek opportunities elsewhere.

In my opinion, the only way to keep this great city vibrant, affordable, and desirable place to live is to focus on innovations in technological advances.

I believe it is very important for us to have a clear roadmap for funding our essential services, and this can only be achieved through setting up strategies and implementing these plans so that our children can enjoy a bright future.

I will bring hard work, honesty, vision, and practical approach to city council.

The City of Calgary spends around $4 billion per year on different operations with more than 13,000 employees and to sustain this level of spending we need resources, and anybody who has any kind of revenue generating sense must be worried about the prospects of this great city. And let’s be honest with our people we are going through unprecedented situations like pandemic and ever changing future economic models. Our traditional economic sectors like oil and gas will not return to their previous level and we need to take this as a fact rather than living in a hypothetical world.

Calgary City council should closely work with Calgary Economic Development Council and other business forums and needs to adapt into the vision they have drafted with the help of those they represent and support them in their work, and they have expertise.

Ward 3 Infrastructure & Recreational Facilities

I firmly believe that kids and young people have the right to better recreational facilities than previously available so that, alongside being able to study, they can express their talent in different sports.

I intend to work towards increased funding to build better outdoor and indoor sports facilities for various kinds of sports.

I support funding for the Vivo expansion, as it has been long overdue.

Ward 3 is densely populated. We need more gathering, meeting, and socializing places for the public, especially free and inexpensive ones.

As we all know, land has already been allocated in Ward 3 in order to build the medical centre, and this needs to be done as soon as possible.

Ward 3 Specific Issues

Speeds Limit & Traffic Calming Zones

Speeding is a leading cause of death, injury, and noise pollution and can reduce the quality of life. Those who live close to major roads are more likely to be affected by high speeds than those living farther away. They are constantly facing ever-increasing challenges all year long. It is, however, debatable whether this is an issue within Calgary in any significant way.

There are already speed limits in place to reduce the speed of vehicles in residential areas to 40 km per hour. For the speed limits to be observed and obeyed by everyone, speed limit signs must be placed as soon as possible.

The speed limit on various roads of Ward 3 communities is so vague that it makes it difficult for many people to follow these rules.

The public's opinion should be sought regarding traffic calming zones and additional traffic lights at key intersections to make the traffic flow more smoothly.

Community Specific Issues

Hidden Valley Dog Walk Proposal

In a recent announcement, the City of Calgary announced that it intends to remove the ball diamond from the park at the corner of Beddington Trail and Hidden Valley Link and convert this park into a dedicated off-leash park.

I support this move, but I think residents must have a fair chance to discuss advantages and disadvantages and receive feedback from the Hidden Valley Community Association.
https://engage.calgary.ca/offleash-hiddenvalley

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