In response to Rob Douglas’ columns in your May 2022 papers, I think it’s important for readers to get a different viewpoint on our housing crisis. FYI, I am a North Cowichan business owner, resident and taxpayer. I am also a real estate developer.
Rob’s viewpoints can be summed up as follows:
1. The housing market is out of control.
2. People who have moved here have screwed the locals by pushing prices and rents up too high.
3. The federal and provincial governments should be stepping up.
4. The municipal government “has a role” to play.
5. Conclusion: everybody, except the municipal council, is the problem.
I disagree emphatically with most of what Rob says. And here is why:
Our vacancy rate negative, i.e. below zero. People are living on friends’ couches, in RVs, their cars and on the streets. The Duncan CA has only added 155 new rentals from 2019 to 2021, significantly less than Campbell River (398) and Parksville (383).
In its June 2022 report, CMHC concluded “we need more housing supply.”
Supply causes demand to subside. Economics 101. We need more homes. Period. And land-use/developments, and therefore the housing market, is a core municipal function. This current council has failed miserably to ensure developments are approved to meet our community’s current and future needs.
Non-profit low-income developments (Sherman Road and Willow Street) are stalled with no start date in sight, even though both properties were approved in early 2018. That won’t solve our problems, as they’ll still take several years to build, but if those properties were provided, at no cost, to actual developers (instead of non-profit trusts), these projects would have been built and operating for a couple of years.
Many people don’t know that this current council has approved exactly zero developments of any size in 3 3/4 years. None. Zilch. Diddly squat.
Do you know how you solve this crisis, Rob? You approve development applications. Because of the lack of approvals, there is a severe lack of available properties to purchase and rent. Once developments are approved, it can take 18 to 36 months to build, depending on financing, subcontractor availability, labour and materials, so being forward-thinking is critical.
My solution to Rob’s “how do we clean up this mess” question:
1. Elect forward-thinking, development-friendly councillors and mayor in October. Check their policies, check their track record. Ask them questions directly about their ideas to solve our housing crisis, not point fingers at others. And then, get to the polls in October and vote.
2. Approve developments and roll out the red carpet for developers. Come up with incentives for the private sector, as they’re the ones who get things done. Let’s get the supply caught up to demand and level out the housing situation.
It can be done. It has to be done. And we can do it.
With the right leadership.
(This is an abridged version, due to space requirements. Full response letter is here: www.lionrampant.ca/letter.pdf)
Bruce Findlay,
Crofton