A commentary by a former public servant who lives in James Bay.
Angus Reid reports that a majority of 91原创s don’t trust governments to act in their best interests and 64% agree with the statement that it’s impossible to have any real influence on the political decisions that affect them.
It doesn’t help when governments make decisions without adequate consultation or consideration of the consequences.
A case in point: housing. Starting in the 1990s, the federal government got out of the business of funding social housing, leaving it to the market to provide.
The result? The market supplied lots of condos for investors, including offshore investors looking for a “bank account in the sky.”
The financialization of housing is the cause of our current affordable housing crisis. I emphasize affordable because you can find a home if you have enough money.
The current federal Liberal government made things worse by increasing immigration, despite the advice of public servants that it would exacerbate housing supply problems.
In this province, the former B.C. Liberal government did nothing to stop the new “gold rush” of offshore money looking for a place to invest, watching prices go up and up, to the point that real estate is now the biggest sector of the B.C. economy.
While the current NDP government has taken some steps to address the problem, it has also bought into the neoliberal theory that supply is the answer.
Supply alone is not going to result in housing that is affordable. The other side of the equation is demand, which is potentially unlimited. We need the right kind of supply: homes for people who live and work here, not for investors and people seeking second homes.
Neither level of government is investing adequately in social housing.
The B.C. NDP government has handed over the keys to the development industry, giving them everything they have asked for, including limiting the authority of local governments and the ability of residents to influence decisions. Perhaps the NDP should change their name to the Anti-Democratic Party or the New Autocratic Party.
In their rush to be seen to address the problem, the NDP government have implemented policies without adequate consultation or consideration of unintended consequences.
For example, they now require local governments to plan for housing based on a flawed and unfair methodology that entrenches the status quo because it is based on existing population and past trends.
Their stated intent is to require local governments that have not allowed growth to do their fair share. Oak Bay is often mentioned as example.
Here are the numbers:
Oak Bay is on 10.5 square kilometres of land, and in 2021 had 741 dwelling units per square kilometre. The methodology sets it a target of increasing by 3,547 households by 2041, resulting in 1,078 dwellings per square kilometre.
Contrast this to Saanich, which has 103.8 square kilometres of land, and in 2021 had 463 dwellings per square kilometre. The methodology gives Saanich a target of increasing by 23,559 households by 2041, resulting in 690 dwelling units per square kilometre (less than Oak Bay has now).
Victoria has 19.5 square kilometres of land and in 2021 had 2,528 dwellings per square kilometre. The methodology gives Victoria a target of increasing by 26,604 households by 2041, resulting in 3,894 dwellings per square kilometre.
So, because Victoria already has a lot of density, it will be required to take on even more, and the “burbs” will remain pretty much still the “burbs.”
Sooke has seen a huge increase in development in recent years, more than the infrastructure can readily absorb. No wonder Sooke council is rebelling against imposed growth. Where is the transportation infrastructure? Where are the schools? Where is the health care infrastructure?
The City of Victoria is spending $1 million on the development of a new Official Community Plan, for which there was limited public engagement.
However, that probably doesn’t matter as it appears that the majority of city council doesn’t feel bound by the current OCP, or the directions in the new OCP, or the hundreds of letters and in-person pleas of residents opposed to some developments, or staff recommendations.
And affordable housing? This council has reduced the requirement for affordable units in new strata developments and has reduced cash-in-lieu contributions to the Housing Reserve Fund. Was there consultation on this? Maybe with developers.
No wonder the majority of 91原创s don’t trust governments to act in their best interests and believe it’s impossible to have any influence on decisions that affect them.
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