Dear Editor,
To Mayor Peckford:
To start, I am a supporter of affordable housing but not a supporter of substandard affordable housing. Your building inspector made the right move in condemning the building on Clothier St. It is sad that families lost their homes, but who knows – in a few years something worse could have happened. Would the Municipality be on the hook for allowing people to live in unsafe buildings? The Times writer seemed to take this loss personally. These families were at risk. It is sad that someone had to speak for these families because they feared losing their homes but even sadder they were willing to risk living in a condemned building. You have to wonder how many people living in older buildings in town are in the same situation, like the upper floor buildings along Prescott St. Those buildings were not built to support today’s heavier appliances and furniture, especially if each floor has many units. Does the Fire Department monitor these multi unit buildings for compliance? To me, the Times article only encourages people not to speak out if they feel unsafe in their homes for fear of what will happen. The Municipality needs to reach out to families and inspect buildings before they are too far gone. Property owners must comply with building standards and not allow their rentals to fall into disrepair. Yes, Kemptville needs more affordable housing, but first we need to preserve what we have now. Everyone needs to feel safe in their home.
Donna Lewis
