Tofino香蕉视频直播檚 housing crisis is pushing the town香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播榟idden homeless香蕉视频直播� population into the forefront.
Dr. Carrie Marshall said residents with nowhere else to go are seeking emergency shelter at the Tofino General Hospital.
香蕉视频直播淲e have patients that come in that we are providing accommodation for, essentially, and food. There香蕉视频直播檚 no medical need. We admit them for social reasons. There香蕉视频直播檚 not a criminal element to not having a fixed address, so police don香蕉视频直播檛 want to be taking them to cells,香蕉视频直播� Marshall said. 香蕉视频直播淲e are increasingly getting more and more patients that there香蕉视频直播檚 literally nowhere for them to go香蕉视频直播sually they are transient, or no-fixed-address patients, that fall between the hospital and criminal cells.香蕉视频直播�
Frustrations and concerns over the lack of housing in town have been a perpetual mainstay on council香蕉视频直播檚 docket and the issue was a key point of emphasis during October香蕉视频直播檚 municipal election campaign.
Petra Hansman, a 香蕉视频直播渃oncerned rental citizen of Tofino,香蕉视频直播� is frustrated by what she believes has been a lack of action by Tofino council to fulfill the promises made during the campaign trail.
香蕉视频直播淭here has been a palatable hush over talk of creating affordable housing, I fear that district and council have lost momentum in this very important issue,香蕉视频直播� she wrote.
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She suggested developers could be interested in creating housing projects, but council 香蕉视频直播渘eeds to be more flexible and create more allowances香蕉视频直播� while working with developers to find solutions.
香蕉视频直播淵ou as councillors and mayor were employed by the townspeople to alleviate this issue. Our town is desperate for solutions and shovels in the ground today. It香蕉视频直播檚 time for investments made and solutions implemented. Please act before our gross population moves to Ucluelet and beyond. Enough is enough,香蕉视频直播� she wrote.
Tofino mayor Josie Osborne told the Westerly News that the district conducted a housing needs assessment in 2015 that highlighted a significant need for housing, but did not quantify or describe in detail the gap of suitable housing for the community香蕉视频直播檚 most vulnerable residents.
香蕉视频直播淯ntil Dr. Marshall reported to us in the council meeting, I did not know that the hospital has admitted people overnight so that they have a place to stay香蕉视频直播攑resumably a safe, warm and dry place to sleep,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淒r. Marshall has highlighted an absolutely critical need that clearly must be addressed but, for me, this news also indicates the need to build more awareness and dialogue about the issue of homelessness and 香蕉视频直播榣iving rough香蕉视频直播� on the West Coast, an issue that is practically invisible to mainstream society.香蕉视频直播�
She said Tofino香蕉视频直播檚 housing shortage is well known and is impacting distinct segments of the town香蕉视频直播檚 population in different ways.
香蕉视频直播淪ome people can afford market rents or mortgages, but they simply cannot find a place to rent or a home to buy. Many, many, others simply do not make enough income to afford market rents and mortgages香蕉视频直播攕hould they be so fortunate as to even find a vacancy or a home for sale,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭his group is often called the 香蕉视频直播榤issing middle香蕉视频直播� and is likely the gap that is affecting local businesses and Tofino香蕉视频直播檚 economy the most.香蕉视频直播�
She added the town香蕉视频直播檚 most vulnerable residents need 香蕉视频直播渄eeply subsidized香蕉视频直播� housing, of which there is little in Tofino.
香蕉视频直播淲e need to fill the housing gaps at all levels, but there are different strategies and partnerships needed for each type of housing,香蕉视频直播� she said.
She said council is working on creating 香蕉视频直播渢he best conditions possible香蕉视频直播� for affordable housing development through local government tools, like zoning, allowing increased density and removing minimum home sizes.
She added council is also lobbying the provincial and federal governments for desperately needed funding and policy changes and suggested Tofino香蕉视频直播檚 was a key voice in the province香蕉视频直播檚 decision to allow taxes collected by AirBnB rentals to go towards affordable housing initiatives last fall.
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香蕉视频直播淎 third category of action is actually building housing and, while that is relatively rare for a B.C. municipality, we are in the thick of it with the Tofino Bible Fellowship and the Tofino Housing Corporation preparing for a new residential neighbourhood on DL 114,香蕉视频直播� she said, referring to the district香蕉视频直播檚 collaborative project to create 50 new housing units, which received $500,000 from the provincial government last March.
She added Tofino could also look into potential taxes being used in other municipalities,
香蕉视频直播淟ike the vacancy tax in Vancouver and the so-called speculation tax,香蕉视频直播� she suggested. 香蕉视频直播淭hese taxes are controversial, but should we be considering them in Tofino to help cool market prices or to at least add extra funding to our affordable housing reserve?香蕉视频直播�
She cautioned the community against expecting affordable rentals and homes to spring up in short order.
香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 like the public to understand that as frustrating as it is that things move slowly, it helps to ask questions, listen to Council, staff and developers and try to understand the trade-offs and compromises that we consider when we make decisions about housing.
香蕉视频直播淚t took decades for B.C. to get into this serious affordable housing [crisis], and we won香蕉视频直播檛 be able to solve it overnight,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭here is no single 香蕉视频直播榖est way香蕉视频直播� to tackle Tofino香蕉视频直播檚 housing issue, rather it香蕉视频直播檚 a combination of many things香蕉视频直播攆rom increasing supply directly through the Tofino Housing Corporation and indirectly with willing developers, moderating the need for new staff accommodation by carefully considering any new commercial development, lobbying the provincial and federal governments for funding and policy changes, to enforcing and reviewing short-term rental rules, to using zoning tools to create better conditions for affordable housing.香蕉视频直播�
She added that 香蕉视频直播渦nless we are willing to compromise on density, parking requirements, and setbacks,香蕉视频直播� the cost of land, building materials, labour and service infrastructure will continue to push 香蕉视频直播渆ven modestly sized and appointed homes香蕉视频直播� out of the financial reach of average Tofitians.
香蕉视频直播淚f we truly want people of all income levels and stations in life to have dignified, affordable and adequate housing, there is likely no possible way to build affordable housing without increasing density in ways that Tofino is not entirely comfortable with. This is not easy for people to understand and accept, and I had to learn a lot about the true costs of development before I realized and accepted it myself,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淪uch changes will change the rural nature and feel of some streets and sites, but we are quickly approaching a point where we have to live with change in the community we love so we can support the people who make this such a great place to live.香蕉视频直播�
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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