Fourth Annual Affordable Housing Day Forum at Crowne Plaza November 23

Fredericton (NB) – Michel Labbé, a Toronto-based leading Canadian social entrepreneur with 25 years experience in the production of affordable housing, will be the keynote speaker during the fourth annual City of Fredericton Affordable Housing Day on Tuesday, November 23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

“We have chosen the theme “I work in Fredericton. Can I afford to live here too?” for this year’s forum,” said Councillor Mike O’Brien, Chair of the City’s Committee on Affordable Housing. “We are delighted to have a speaker of Mr. Labbé’s expertise and experience and I’m looking forward to hearing his thoughts on smart development in the context of affordability.”

Mr. Labbé is an Urban and Regional Planning Graduate from the University of Waterloo. Since 1992, he has been president of Options For Homes Non-profit Corporation, which was instrumental in developing a model that provides mixed-income housing without any permanent government subsidy.

To date, Options has provided home ownership opportunities to more than 3,700 households across Canada. There are also 10 active affiliated organizations using the Options model across Canada and abroad including Acces Condos in Montreal, Options for Homes Waterloo and Options for Homes Greater Sudbury in Ontario, and Options for Homes Romania.

Mr. Labbé and Options for Homes have been recognized with several prestigious awards over the years including: the 2010 Affordable Housing Champion by the City of Toronto. Following his presentation there will be a Community Dialogue session moderated by award-winning Fredericton architect John Leroux. This interdisciplinary panel of community leaders will discuss affordable housing, inclusionary zoning, mixed-use planning, sprawl, density, sustainability and more. A question and answer session with the audience will follow.

“This is an opportunity to network with leaders in business and government and share your vision for smart development in the context of affordability,” said Coun.O’Brien.

Affordable Housing Day begins with registration at 11:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza. A complimentary lunch will be available with opening remarks set for 12 noon. It is expected to wrap up by 4 p.m.

Affordable Housing Day is a free event and is open to anyone with an interest in affordable housing. Advance registration is required by contacting Joanne Thomson at 506-460-2188 or via email at joanne.thomson@fredericton.ca