Matt responded to these questions from CTV, which were published alongside answers from other candidates for Regional Council. The full list of responses can be found here: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/meet-the-kitchener-candidates-running-for-waterloo-regional-council-1.6089686

Who are you?

After graduating from the University of Waterloo, I moved to Downtown Kitchener, meeting new neighbours along the way at many local events. I am a skilled facilitator and will ensure all voices are heard. I rent, take public transportation, and understand the barriers many of us face when accessing Regional services.

Why are you running?

I am running in this election to have the opportunity to continue to serve the community that I love as a fresh face on Regional Council. As an urban planner and chair of Kitchener’s Active Transportation and Trails Advisory Committee, I understand what it takes to build a community that leaves no one behind. I know our local decision-making process, I’ve actively followed decisions over the last term of council, and I regularly delegate and advocate to local and Regional Councils on a wide range of issues. I want to see a Region that is more connected, that puts climate action at the centre of decision-making, that invests in public health and community care, and that takes transparency and accountability seriously.

What do you think is the most pressing issue facing the Region of Waterloo and how do you plan to address it?

We are in a housing and affordability crisis, and the Region of Waterloo plays a key role in responding. To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the Region, I will work to welcome 140,000 new neighbours in strong neighbourhoods, which support locally hired jobs within the Countryside Line, avoiding outward sprawl.

I will advocate for new public housing and support and fund co-operative ownership and land trust models to build new affordable housing units. I will also advocate for the use of Regional lands to accommodate emergency shelters and encampments with wraparound supports in the immediate term.

I will push to expand access to subsidized transit and free youth fares to allow greater access to transit services.

To support families, I will push for the broad implementation of $10-a-day child care and the investment of subsidies into the system to create new spaces, including for infants.

Further, I will advocate to re-allocate new funding towards approaches that prevent social issues and harms, including supervised consumption, public health, and community care. Overall, I will push to ensure that the 2023 Budget and future budgets prioritize the delivery of great core public services, and balance competing needs and rising inflationary pressures.