With 435 new units this year, progress is being made by various groups around the city to solve the affordable housing problem, but more still needs to be accomplished, Mayor Dean Fortin, co-chairman of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, said Tuesday.
The coalition housed 535 people this year in subsidized housing, market units and single-room occupancies, which included new units at Queens Manor, Olympic Vista and Camas Gardens.
There are still more challenges to face, however, the mayor said.
"What is a bit daunting is the challenges around 1,900 unique individuals going through the shelters. It still speaks to the need for affordable housing," Fortin said.
Shelter use has risen this year, keeping them at an average occupancy rate of 95 per cent. Many these users were not onenight stays, said Dr. Bernie Pauly, of the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. at the University of Victoria.
"This means there is a need for more subsidized housing," Pauly said.
The main challenge outlined in her report on homelessness in Victoria is that housing in the city and surrounding area is not cheap, particularly given wage levels.
"It's not surprising when you realize that someone who lives on minimum wage can barely afford a house and food," Pauly said. Pauly estimates that an hourly wage for each of the two parents supporting a
family of four would need to be above $18 per hour, which is far above minimum wage.
The average rent in Victoria for a bachelor apartment is $665 a month, Pauly said. "It is a challenging housing market," she said.
Deborah Quiring is one Victoria resident who has taken up the challenge of finding cheap housing. She said she had been to many "dicey" places before finding a spot at Clover Place a year and a half ago.
"Having a stable home environment is important to all other manners of your health," Quiring said. "Knowing it is here for me and for as long as I need is very calming for the mind and body."
Quiring, 52, is receiving disability support for a mental illness, which she said only leaves her with $375 per month for housing. Clover Place subsidizes her cost of living, and also allows her to work a few hours a week in exchange for grocery money.
Better still, Quiring said she is surrounded by a community and support, which is helping her regain her confidence and ability to get out and volunteer.
"They say money can't buy happiness, but stable housing can," Quiring said.
The coalition's plans for the next year include more affordable housing locations, but they need secured funding, Fortin said. They include projects in Sooke, Saanich, and aboriginal family housing units on Gorge Road.
