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Mayoral candidate Mike Maguire wants the city to get out of building social housing and move to a system of subsidizing renters instead.

“We need to move towards a portable subsidy for low-income renters, where they can select accommodations that meet their needs rather than being forced into a densely packed building assigned to social assistance renters,” announced Maguire in a news release Wednesday.

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A report released this week by the Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa notes that although this city has the highest median income of any municipality in Canada, relative prosperity means life for low-income residents is harder than in other cities: Low-income Ottawa residents spend more of their money on housing than people in other parts of the country, leaving less for necessities such as food and transportation.

There are about 10,000 families on the city’s waiting list for affordable housing, while much of the existing housing needs upgrades.