Housing: I disagree with the removal of all barriers. Due to the commodification of housing this does not alleviate the housing crisis. I would advocate for expectations for developers, because I believe in building practices that are environmentally sustainable as well as requiring certain percentages of units to be allocated to meeting the needs of our community (percentage affordable, percentage for families). The builds that have taken place where barriers have been removed have not indeed met the needs of the community (while that might be what developers argue "supply and demand" but supply for who? Many condo buildings that yes are high density, are high priced luxury condos where many are owned by investors or real estate trusts where profits are earned from high rents, marginalizing young people, seniors etc.. There are advantages to having by law and zoning restrictions in order to build thoughtful communities.

Public Safety: Police free is a strong term that is difficult for me to endorse blanketly. At a better tent city, they involve police when needed. Police do play an important role in terms of documentation, safety when violence prevails etc.

Indigenous Sovereignty: I am concerned about the survey being very binary and reductive. I'm afraid many of these issues are more complicated and it is an over simplification to distill them to a yes or no question. I have put in "yes" for issues I'm mostly in favour of, but would advocate for a more complex process in order to develop the idea further in collaboration within community. I believe there can be an asset based community development approach to the concerns raised and as a community we can explore the best solutions to the issues raised.

Social Services: Many of the concerns raised are not under the city jurisdiction. While as a social worker I'd be comfortable lobbying other levels of government for such approaches and speaking up for harm reduction strategies, the council is not in charge of some of these funding decisions. Also, I worry that mask mandates, from a social work perspective, can be a barrier for folks to access services (my volunteer experience at abtc). I've also seen a grave impact on the mental health of residents as a result of covid 19 protocols. mask wearing means different things to different people. So while I am a mask positive person, I worry that this blanket question is othering for some who need an individualized approach.

Other: In future, I'd prefer a discussion format, perhaps a debate, as the issues being raised are quite complicated and so that is a barrier for candidates to be appreciated for their individual experience, perspectives and opinions.

Housing: I've written extensively on this subject during this campaign (the encampment at the corner of Weber and Victoria being top of mind in Ward 10) and I have published my fulsome answers to my blog.

Other: My campaign is scaffolded by three principles that I embody: Experience, Fresh Ideas, Sustainability

Experience:

Over a decade of professional experience working in responsive social service in downtown Kitchener.

- Motivated by a deep commitment to equitable access and a welcoming city where people can thrive, belong, articulate and collaborate on shared vision.

- A valued and effective employee of Carizon Family and Community Services: Pathways to Education -- a community-based, National organization focused on long-term Community Development through access to education via social, academic, financial and advocacy supports to students and families living in under-funded areas in Kitchener.

- A thoughtful and motivated team member at Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region focusing on affordable housing solutions and community development in Kitchener.

A lifelong resident of Kitchener, with a community profile built from grass-roots participation and thoughtful community development.

- A second-term candidate for City Council recognized by her peers, the press, and elected officials for an innovative 2018 campaign that emphasized the gender gap in municipal representation -- culminating in an innovative event that drew municipal, regional, and provincial candidates and incumbents together to support equitable participation in local politics. Stephanie is planning an event for October 2022 continuing her commitment to equitable representation.

See CBC's coverage here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/female-candidates-meet-in-kitchener-ahead-of-municipal-election-1.4837120

- A dedicated volunteer, giving back to the city as a board member, coach, emergency shelter worker, emergency daycare provider for essential workers, and settlement worker for local NFPs including: Reception House, The Working Centre, Moppet, Truth and Reconciliation Community Committee, and Stanley Park Optimist Ball.

Fresh Ideas:

More than just words: a demonstrable history of deep understanding and sustainable action on emergent ideas and community values.

- Researching, initiating, hosting, and attending anti-racism and indigenous workshops, working groups and trainings.

- Integrating directives and learnings responsibly into social and professional practices where the stakes are real -- when working with youth, newcomers, diverse families, people living in low income areas, traumatized individuals, and people experiencing compounding complexities

- Living intergenerationally in the downtown core as a sustainable and equitable housing solution for more than one household

- Welcoming and settling Syrian Refugees, and supporting the family reunification, permanent housing, and economic success of the Al Othman family in Kitchener

- Building relationships and working in socially innovative fields that adapt to the changing needs of the people living in Kitchener – especially where education, housing, access to food, anti-racism, indigeneity, system navigation, and newcomer settlement are concerned

- Responding with compassion, collaboration, and clear thinking in times of crises

- Looking forward and initiating flexible, responsive policies, practices and projects that will serve future citizens

Sustainability:

A dedicated proponent of ecological sustainability: weaving together the essentials of a livable, meaningful, green and robust civil society and city for generations to come.

Fiscal responsibility and affordability

- A deep understanding of the housing crises, and how inequities in the market affect citizens from all walks of life: young people, newcomers, citizens experiencing homelessness, seniors, and families.

- Practical knowledge of the Federal, Provincial, Regional and Municipal economic models and responsibilities that impact local affordability and access to housing, employment, education, and healthcare.

- Dedicated to balanced decision-making at community and intergovernmental levels that result in affordability, and equitable access to the resources all citizens of Kitchener require to make a safe and sustainable home in the city.

Social responsibility and togetherness

- Fiscal responsibility as community care: ensuring that the city invests wisely and collaboratively on behalf of present and future generations.

- Investing in community services and supporting local initiatives that build into the social fabric of Kitchener.

- Protecting human rights, honouring indigeneity, demanding equity, and retooling systemic structures to create a balanced and fair administration that serves people of all walks of life.

- Having the courage and resiliency to make structural changes that support an inclusive bureaucracy.

Environmental sustainability and investment

- Building up, building human, and ensuring a robust countryside line: protecting and celebrating urban and rural agriculture, complex ecosystems, and humane access to green spaces.

- Insisting on environmentally responsible infrastructure that is ecologically innovative, and prioritizing these projects for our city centre -- be they public or private enterprise.

- Considering our place in a world of rapidly changing climate: Kitchener as a global city whose ecological and economic future is tied to a collective response to our warming climate."

Housing: I fully support all of these measures. I would like to stipulate that although I currently support sanctioning all encampments, I really believe that their continued existence means that we are not solving root issues or providing enough in the way of social services. Our goal should be to end the need for such encampments in the first place.

Public Safety: I would go even further and say that the police can do with a budget much smaller than 190 million (!) and that that money would go much farther by investing in upstream alternatives. As a start, reallocating the budget increase is a wonderful idea.

The criminalisation of drug use, sex work, homelessness, and mental health issues is a stain on our social conscience. As someone who has faced addiction, been temporarily homeless due to domestic violence, engaged in survival sex work, and suffered from severe mental illness, these issues are near and dear to my heart and I have great empathy for anyone going through them. I believe we can and should do much better, and I want to be part of that change.

Indigenous Sovereignty: I just wanted to say that these are wonderful ideas, some of which I had not come across previously, and I love all of them. I hope that each of these policies/initiatives are enacted in the quickest possible way.

Transportation: I would love to see protected and separated bike lanes all over the city, as well as more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and development (15-minute neighbourhoods!). I would also like to see a bylaw implemented that forces landlords of apartment complexes to provide secure, sheltered bike storage, so that more renters, like myself, can own and get around on bikes. "An advanced society is not one where even the poor can own a car, but one in which the rich use public transit" - I think this should be our goal. Canada has a tendency to see public transit as a thing for students and the lower-classes. We need to get to the place where even the well-to-do decide they'd rather take publicly-funded transportation. Moreover, I think we should continue to think of ways of making driving more inconvenient, while making public transportation more enticing. Free public transit is a great start to this, as is reducing the number of giant parking lots in the city, and reducing the number of parking spots downtown.

Other: I can guarantee that I am the most radically progressive candidate running in my ward. I am not a politician, I am a scientist. I look at facts through a lens of compassion and only see solutions to our societal ills. Many of those solutions have been outlined in your "A Better Vision" document and your related questions. We have the ideas to fix things, we just need radical, strong-willed people in government to get things done. Status quo politicians will not get us to where we need to be, and if we keep electing the status quo politicians we will be in a much worse place in 4 years' time. I hope you put your trust in me to be a voice for those who our local government often ignores, such as the homeless, low-income, renters, LGBT+, and Indigenous peoples.

Housing: I think that we have great non-profit partners in the region for providing affordable and supportive housing. We should built on these relationships and leverage the resources that the municipality controls to increase the supply of affordable and supportive housing in the region.

Public Safety: I'm hesitant to open the door on the issue of sex-work because I am concerned that a lot of sex work is coerced. Decriminalization of sex-work could make it harder to combat sex trafficking in the region.

Indigenous Sovereignty: Reconciliation begins with the recognition that settler Canadians can benefit from strong indigenous communities living in their midst. I believe that the policies of successive Canadian governments have attempted to reduce or eliminate indigenous populations because they perceived strong indigenous communities as a direct threat to their own authority.

I think that there is a lot of wisdom in the treaties that we forged with indigenous peoples especially the two row wampum that depicts two societies moving forward together in harmony. As a council person I would do everything in my power to strengthen local indigenous communities.

Social Services: I don't think that the current case load justifies reinstituting mask mandates at this time. These policies can be very divisive and I worry about deepening the political rifts in our society.

Housing: Encampments themself are not an issue, however, there are some safety concerns that come along with any group gathering. We can't just remove all the zoning restrictions, these are there for the protections of the neighbourhoods. I think we can make exemption for certain development like affordable housing. These has to be case by case approach. There are more than one way to fund a project, let's not put all the burden on taxpayers.

Public Safety: Although I am in support to stop punishing sex work, we have to make sure we don't encourage sex workers trafficking. I am in support of boosting funing to upstream social services, I am not sure of the amount that required.

Indigenous Sovereignty: Some of these issues are very complex. Without further research, I can't form an opinion.

Social Services: We all entitled to certain freedom of choice, a mandates approach maynot be the best one. I don't know the detail of the federal child care subsidies. Does the City get any of the saving?

Transportation: I love to see free public transit and full winter maintenance, however, our current budget would not allow for this, but we can sure pushing for these! Pedestrians already have the right of way at most crossing, and yes, speed limits can be lower, however, its more of a 'how do we enforce' these by-laws are more of a problem.

Other: In principle, you raised some very important points to discuss and implements. In a perfect world, I would wish for all of these to happen, but we live in the now, and such, I believe in small steps, let take actions on what we can, and have an open dialog on the bigger issues.