Rental housing availability was a topic of discussion for City of Powell River councillors at a recent committee of the whole meeting.
At the March 1 meeting, councillors received a letter from Jami Foort, who expressed concerns about housing rentals.
Foort’s letter stated that housing rentals have become increasingly scarce and painfully obvious in Powell River. Foort stated that the number of people seeking suitable secure housing rentals far exceeds what is vacant and available.
Councillor George Doubt said the letter writer is right.
“We have a severe housing problem,” said Doubt. “It’s everything from affordable houses to medium-priced houses to high-priced houses to houses for the homeless. We have a serious housing crisis and we have to address it. It’s just going to get worse. It’s not going to get better all by itself.”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said in reading the correspondence, she looked back on what has been accomplished.
“Yes, there is a housing shortage, I don’t disagree, but I have a few numbers just to give ourselves a little pat on the back,” said Hathaway. “Some of the recent affordable housing developments, some which have been completed and some that are online, brought in 144 units. That’s a fair amount for this little community.
“With market housing, I have a number of units recently completed or on the books in some way, shape or form, and some of them include affordable housing; there are 527 units. That comes out to 671 units total. I don’t think we have done too badly for a small community. We need to continue working on it but we’ve done pretty well thus far.”
Mayor Dave Formosa said the city is supporting in every way it can at least four brand new large facilities for housing. He said the vast majority have been for low income, and supportive, and then there is a very large apartment facility that is going ahead.
“There’s a lot of housing stock coming along but folks are coming more quickly than we can build for them,” said Formosa.
Councillor Rob Southcott said he’s been in discussion with his son, who is 24 and in university, and if he ends up becoming a registered professional forester as intended, his son figures he would have to make one and a half to two times as much as is listed for what foresters make in order to afford a modest house.
“This is a problem many young people are facing,” said Southcott. “I hope there can be some kind of an adjustment so our young people actually do have opportunity. It’s a worry.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott said that Foort is clearly right.
“There is a housing crisis, not just here, but across the entire nation,” said Elliott. “We’re working hard at investing in our permitting staff and getting inspections done faster to make sure housing gets built. There’s a ton under construction now that might make a difference in the rental market coming up in the next year or so.
“The thing we need to do is to lobby the larger governments around this issue of the housing crisis in Canada.”
