York Region challenges students to help Make Rental Happen

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Feb. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - What does great rental housing look like? The Regional Municipality of York is calling on post-secondary students to answer that question by entering the Make Rental Happen Challenge.

"Housing is a top priority for York Regional Council and addressing the rental shortage before us requires collaboration from all levels of government, the private-sector and larger community," said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. "To foster innovation and build momentum to increase housing options, the Make Rental Happen Challenge calls on students to explore, rethink, question and experiment with new ideas for rental housing."

The Human Services Planning Board of York Region is hosting the Make Rental Happen Post-Secondary Student Challenge between February 10 and April 18, 2014, inviting students from across Ontario, Canada and the globe to submit bold, innovative and achievable solutions to increase the supply of rental housing in York Region. Visit www.york.ca/makerentalhappen for full challenge details.

Teams or individual students are invited to design and deliver ideas that foster strong communities. Submissions may include any type or scale of rental apartments - from a single house to a large-scale complex. Participants should highlight the inclusion of human services as part of a healthy community and identify legislative or program amendments that may be needed to encourage more private-market rental housing development in York Region.

"We're looking for innovative ideas that are financially feasible and could entice real estate developers to pursue private-market rental housing," said Town of Newmarket Regional Councillor John Taylor, Co-Chair of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region. "Students can show us through their designs why these alternatives would create better homes for more people."

"Rental housing options are missing from York Region's housing mix," said Susan LaRosa, Co-Chair of the Human Services Planning Board of York Region. "Having a healthy housing market with a full mix of housing options is the core of economic competitiveness, social well-being and community health."

York Regional Council recently approved a draft 10-Year Housing Plan, Housing Solutions: A place for everyone. This housing plan builds on the work the Region has already done and proposes 60 actions to increase the rental housing supply, sustain the existing rental housing supply, support affordable home ownership and strengthen the homelessness and housing stability system.

Registration for the Make Rental Happen Student Challenge opens today and submissions will be accepted until April 18, 2014. Submissions will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Winners will receive one of three prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000.

Join the #MakeRentalHappen conversation by visiting York Region on Facebook and Twitter.

The Regional Municipality of York provides services to 1.1 million residents and 42,000 businesses that employ 533,000 people

SOURCE: Regional Municipality of York

Media Contact: Samantha Lemieux, Community and Health Services, The Regional Municipality of York
905-830-4444 or 1-877-464-9675 ext. 74101 [email protected]
After-hours: 905-806-1216 [email protected]