On Thursday, Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced the appointment of Jennifer Keesmaat and Dr. Teresa Goldstein to the National Housing Council.
The Council is an advisory body established as a result of the National Housing Strategy Actof 2019 to ensure that federal housing policy is in the best interest of all Canadians. The Council works closely with the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
For their parts, both Keesmaat and Goldstein are celebrated urban planners known for their work leading large-scale city building initiatives, according to a news release from the Government of Canada, and “bring extensive knowledge and expertise having worked across the housing sector including with private, public, and not-for-profit organisations, as well as academic institutions.”
“I am happy to welcome Dr. Goldstein and Ms. Keesmaat to the National Housing Council,” Minister Fraser said in the release. “Their expertise and dedication will be an incredible asset to the Council in its efforts to help address housing challenges across Canada and helping us ensure that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.”
In a similar tune, National Housing Council Co-Chair Tim Richter, who is also President and CEO of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, said that Keesmaat and Goldstein are anticipated to play “a crucial role in support of the Council’s mandate to further housing policy and improve the effectiveness of the National Housing Strategy.”
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A backgrounder put out by the federal housing ministry on Thursday highlights that Keesmaat has a penchant for leadership and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Collecdev-Markee, a Toronto-based development company focussed on sustainable building practices and affordable housing. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute Toronto, and also spent five years as Toronto’s Chief City Planner.
“While the challenge of housing all Canadians has never been more complex, I am confident that with determination and collaboration, we can overcome these barriers and pioneer new frameworks for housing delivery,” Keesmaat said in Thursday’s release. “I am committed to working alongside my fellow council members to develop bold, innovative strategies that address our housing challenges and build vibrant communities where every Canadian has the opportunity to thrive.”
Dr. Teresa Goldstein comes to the Council with 20 years of professional planning experience, and has served as both Director of Community Planning and Manager of Planning, Advisory and Coordination at the City of Toronto. In addition, she has spent nearly a decade as a professor at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, and was on Calgary’s Housing and Affordability Task Force in 2022.
"I am deeply humbled by this appointment to the National Housing Council,” Goldstein said in the release. “Housing is fundamentally at the heart of improving people's lives, and I am truly honoured to contribute to advancing the important work of housing across our country.”
