WATCH: While the solution to Vancouver Island’s housing crisis involves all levels of government, municipal councils play a critical role. April Lawrence reports.
You can see construction in most parts of Greater Victoria yet the vacancy rate remains below one percent.
Housing advocates say the reason we aren’t seeing more affordable and social housing is largely due to public push back.
“Where you have overwhelming neighbourhood opposition you have a lack of political will,” said Stephen Portman, Advocacy Lead for Together Against Poverty Society.
Earlier this month a proposal for a 61-unit affordable housing project was rejected by Victoria city council after neighbourhood concerns about its size.
And it’s not just with low-income housing, developers say neighbourhood opposition is one of the biggest roadblocks they face too.
“When you try to do housing in the city there tends to be opposition to the change and to the impacts,” said Luke Mari with Aryze Developments.
Mari, who is currently building a 21-unit rental apartment building near Mayfair Mall, says it means there are few options for families.
“We’ve built a tremendous amount of one bedroom condos in downtown and essentially the neighborhoods around downtown have had almost no change in the single family neighbourhoods,” said Mari.
“We have households, young households, forming in the city but when they want to have kids we’re essentially saying there’s no place for you in our city because we have no housing for you in the city.”
With the civic election Saturday both agree that to really address the housing crisis, local councils need to be leaders in the face of opposition..
“Strongly boldly thoughtfully go to neighbourhoods and address opposition before it grows and before a development is opposed,” said Portman.
“Let’s have policies that get us to three per cent vacancy rate and lets have courage and bold action to say our city’s growing, where does that growth need to go?” questioned Mari.
April Lawrence
