Day two of the R2R22 Conference, being held this week at the Four Winds Barn in Brussels, was all about housing.

Co-Producer Peter Smith points out it’s a problem that exists throughout the province and the country.

“I do think though the rural municipal governments can actually do a lot more than can happen in cities, I think because they’ve got the power to change policy, not that they don’t in the cities, but it’s just more complex and they can invest dollars into it and then they can get to the upper tier,” Smith said.

Smith takes that a step further.

“I think that this is some place that rural can lead the charge is in affordable, attainable, accessible housing because you can go and talk to your mayor. In Toronto, you’d never have access to the mayor, the councillors, you rarely have access to them,” he added.

He says in rural communities the mayor or a councillor could be your next door neighbour and that can be a huge advantage.

Smith says a lot of good ideas came out of the meeting on October 18 and things are moving in the right direction. But he concedes, it is going to take time to make the changes that need to be made.