Stratford has welcomed a new housing specialist determined to tackle the city’s unique housing challenges head-on.
With years of experience repurposing historic buildings and a background in theater, Kendra Fry brings a fresh perspective to the role.
Since moving to Stratford in 2021, she has immersed herself in the community, even joining Stratford Summer Music.
Now, she’s ready to make a significant impact by focusing on expediting permits, developing city-owned land for affordable housing, and promoting accessory dwelling units (ADUs), which are also referred to as a second unit or granny flats.
“It‘s about connecting the appropriate housing with the appropriate person and if we do that in the long run, we’ll build a stronger workforce and also build a stronger tax base,” said Fry.
Stratford faces challenges similar to other places but with unique twists.
“The rising costs of building and the cost of borrowing money to build make it harder for developers to move forward on projects,” Fry added.
Additionally, workforce housing presents a specific issue.
“You need a workforce to build housing, but you also need a place for that workforce to live while they’re building,” she explained.
“In the long term, we hope to diversify the housing portfolio. So the typologies of housing, so that there are lots of different ways one can enter the housing market in Stratford,” she concluded.
With her innovative approach and dedication, Stratford is poised to see positive changes in its housing landscape.
