The City of Vancouver’s point person on housing and homelessness has taken a job in Toronto.
Abi Bond, the city’s managing director of homelessness services and affordable housing programs, announced Wednesday on social media and on her Linkedin page that she accepted a job as the City of Toronto’s executive director of its Housing Secreteriat.
“I’m excited to join the City of Toronto as ED of the Housing Secretariat to deliver on their proposed new #HousingTO plan, but sad to leave dedicated friends and colleagues at the City of Vancouver,” she wrote on her Linkedin page.
“I’m proud of the part my team and I have played in delivering new affordable homes in Vancouver. It’s an exciting time to be working in #affordable housing in Canada, but a lot more work to do to create equity for everyone.”
The City of Toronto said in a news release that Bond, who joined the City of Vancouver in 2011 after working in housing for the City of Calgary and before that as project manager for Manchester city council, will begin her new job Feb. 3, 2020.
Toronto’s 10-year housing plan is “a comprehensive blueprint for helping more than 341,000 Toronto households,” the release said. The housing plan sets a target of approving 40,000 new affordable rental homes over 10 years.
The plan goes to Toronto city council for final approval next week.
“We are thrilled to welcome Abigail Bond to the Housing Secretariat and the City of Toronto,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory in the release.
“Her deep experience delivering a wide range of policy and programs, including new housing units, will enable us to get more affordable housing built for residents in our city through our very ambitious HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.”
Bond describes herself as a “houser” and Manchester City football club fan on her Twitter profile. She is a graduate of the University of Liverpool (bachelor of arts, politics) and received her masters of economics and social studies, development studies from the University of Manchester.
@Howellings
