As Christy Clark and her provincial government triumphantly commit nearly $1 billion toward affordable rental housing in BC this year, here we are in Powell River unable to address the issue.
Clark announced Monday that the province is committing another $500 million to create 2,900 rental units in association with non-profit societies, local governments, government agencies, community organizations and the private sector. This is in addition to $355 million announced in February for another 2,000 housing units.
Meanwhile, in Powell River...um, hello?
With the release of a community social plan, a recent public forum on affordable housing hosted by Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons and now this provincial funding announcement, the timing and momentum is perfect to do something about the growing housing problem in Powell River.
If we as a community truly believe affordable housing is a priority, then all of those societies, governments, agencies, organizations and private companies need to step forward to the provincial government with their action plans and get this problem fixed.
That means City of Powell River council and staff getting on board and not stonewalling projects like they did with a plan to create housing at Olive Devaud Residence. That means the not-in-my-backyarders coming to grips with the fact that we all share one big backyard, and it includes the poverty-stricken and homeless.
Tapping into provincial affordable-housing funding requires useable land, a plan and dedication to the cause; every community in the province will be looking at that money as a potential solution, and larger urban centres in Vancouver and Victoria could easily use up most of the funding to address glaringly obvious housing problems.
We are facing an affordable housing shortage unheard of in these parts and are unable to address the issue with swift action.
The nearly $1 billion in funding is being used to develop new housing to meet the needs of low-income renters, moderate-income renters, seniors, youth, students, adults with developmental disabilities, Aboriginal people and women and children.
It sounds like the solutions we need. If only we could put our heads together and come up with a cohesive plan to access that huge pool of money instead of sitting on our hands until the next social-planning report is released.
Jason Schreurs, publisher/editor
