Ep. 38: Don Iveson on the Future of Housing

In late 2023, a dream team of former elected officials, mayors and chief planners, Indigenous leaders, designers, builders and developers, affordability advocates, and finance and insurance experts came together to create a Task Force for Housing and Climate.  This group released their Blueprint for More and Better Housing in March 2024.

This episode we welcome Housing and Climate Task Force co-Chair Don Iveson.  

We discuss why addressing Canada’s housing crisis should also include consideration of the climate crisis.  We hear how over a hundred recommendations coalesced into a report that is both bold and grounded. We explore why this challenge motivated Don and his colleagues on the Task Force to try and set the floor for climate and housing discussions.

About our guest:

Don served as Edmonton’s Mayor from 2013 until 2021, and Chair of Canada’s Big City Mayors for 5 years. Since retiring from City Hall, he’s worked part-time with Co-Operators as Executive Advisor for Climate Investing and Community Resilience. He also operates Civic Good, an advisory practice focused on climate resilience, housing innovation, and civic innovation projects with clients ranging from startups to governments. He’s a member of the Expert Panel on Adaptation at the Canadian Climate Institute, is Co-Chair of the Task Force for Housing and Climate, and serves as Board Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

Additional resources:
https://housingandclimate.ca/blueprint/
https://civicgood.substack.com/p/a-blueprint-for-housing-and-climate
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/work-in-progress/
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/product/canadas-housing-affordability-challenge-plenty-of-questions-some-answers-jan2024/