On April 17, 2023, Muskoka District Council passed a resolution to rejuvenate the Muskoka Housing Task Force (MHTF). The task force Terms of Reference have just been approved and the task force has initiated a call for community membership.
The MHTF was established in 2019 with the goal of identifying and promoting strategies and opportunities for the development of a range of housing options across Muskoka. The task force brought together community members, elected officials, housing stakeholders, and District and area municipal staff to work collaboratively through four working groups.
Through the working groups, the task force provided recommendations to Muskoka District Council, which included projects such as the Muskoka Land Inventory Project, Secondary Suites, Muskoka Community Land Trust, and the Muskoka Housing Funding Forum, among many others.
The MHTF was put on pause in November of 2021 so that District Council could review and consider each of the recommendations brought forward. Since this pause, District Council has approved staff resources to support the relaunch of the MHTF and its recommended projects.
The rejuvenated MHTF is being referred to as the Muskoka Housing Task Force 2.0 (MHTF 2.0) and Councillor Peter Kelley has been appointed to Chair of the task force.
“On behalf of Muskoka District Council and the Muskoka community, I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the inaugural membership of the Muskoka Housing Task Force” said MHTF 2.0 Chair Peter Kelley. “These individuals worked collectively to support and advance housing solutions across our communities and are the driving force behind the projects and recommendations brought forward to Council. As we seek new membership for the MHTF 2.0, we will build on the foundational work that the original task force initiated, and we will continue to move the recommendations forward into the next phase of implementation.”
A Call for Membership
A call for community membership for the MHTF 2.0 is now underway. Membership will include elected officials, staff from the District of Muskoka and Muskoka’s six (6) Area Municipalities, and 6-8 community members. Membership will be carefully balanced to ensure a range of sectors are represented and can provide valuable input.
Interested parties can apply to join the task force at the following link: Muskoka Housing Task Force – Apply Now!
The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, June 30, 2023.
While there are a limited number of seats on the MHTF 2.0, there will be many other opportunities through the MHTF 2.0 for community members to engage and contribute to affordable housing initiatives in Muskoka.
Stay informed of task force progress and updates by visiting the Muskoka Housing Task Force page on Engage Muskoka at: www.engagemuskoka.on.ca/housingtaskforce
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