My twins were almost three and their older brother was five when I got the call.
We were living in rental housing in East Van that was big and well built — which is why we were excited to find it —but there was no connection to the others in the complex because no one stayed long.
Not to mention that we were paying the max we could afford with nothing left to get ahead.
We were on co-op waitlists for literally years with no luck.
Then finally the call to say we were accepted to live in a gorgeous, under-construction townhouse co-op in Burnaby near French immersion schools for the boys.
As any parent who has had to worry about a roof over her children's heads knows, the relief of finding safe, affordable housing is indescribable.
I was running down the stairs when the call came. I was so overcome with the news of our new home that I sat down on the step.
When I hung up, I hooted, fist pumped and then started to cry.
It meant that for the foreseeable future we could not only live, but we could thrive.
Lots of studies show the damage unstable housing does to children, but I don’t need to quote them. It is beyond obvious.
That call and access to stable and safe housing changed absolutely everything for all of us.
Currently, so many 樱桃视频parents, young people, lower-wage workers, seniors and newly retired folks don’t know if they can stay here long term or if they will ever own a place of their own.
The new 樱桃视频Community Housing Society is a long-awaited beacon of hope.
Not a co-op model, but still, an organization with the goal of providing safe and affordable rental housing.
It is wonderful to see that in addition to the District, Howe Sound Women’s Society, 樱桃视频Helping Hands, 樱桃视频Senior Citizens Home Society and Sea to Sky Community Services on board as voting members.
It is a historic step, as Coun. John French said, but that is why it was disappointing to see some of the missteps out of the gate in the formation of this society.
The decision to not require meetings to be public by default seems a mistake.
“This is a society that is going to run a business, even though there is a public nature and a public element to it,” Coun. Doug Race said at council.
But, the ultimate goal of any corporation is profit. The ultimate goal of this organization must be serving the public good. To do that, transparency is essential.
There is a lot of public money going toward this project, as Coun. Chris Pettingill noted.
A public AGM and once a year public report to council is not good enough.
The members could always toggle between open and closed as needed when personal or financially jeopardizing information is discussed.
The District’s Gary Buxton said that the recommendation from other societies was to not make meetings public, but this is Squamish, where there has been a lot of vocal concern over decision-making and transparency.
Mayor Karen Elliott told The Chief that this will be a “made in Squamish” solution, so let’s prioritize a greater level of openness.
Buxton noted that voting members can still decide to open meetings; hopefully, this will be a first order of business.
Next, among voting members should have been a renter from the community rather than relegating that position to a directorship.
“I think if you live here if you’re a renter, you should have some voting rights for this society,” said Pettingill.
“This is for the benefit of these people.”
It was also disturbing to see directors include representatives from the mortgage, banking and development sectors.
Not to knock the value that these folks bring to any table, but their expertise could have been used on a one-off basis.
“We know the housing crisis has largely been driven by commodification of housing and the for-profit motivation of these sectors,” Pettingill said, also noting his discomfort with this aspect.
Overall, the society is a step in the right direction and its short-term goal of identifying a new development project in the first two years of the society should be lauded, as should the inclusion of addressing climate change as a priority.
It is fantastic that a range of housing will be available that will cost residents no more than 30% of their gross income.
Let’s hope this society means that other parents and kids— and the folks who take care of our kids at daycare, and the construction worker hammering next door, and the cashier at the grocery store — can all look forward to a call that offers them hope for a future here.
