Saturna Community Housing Society
Holds April 29/08 Public Workshop
By Charles Reif and Tony Green

Over 50 people attended the dinner meeting at the Community Hall sponsored by the newly formed Saturna Community Housing Society and coordinated by Shawn Fitzgerald. Food was donated by Lighthouse Pub, DéjàVu Seafood & Steakhouse, Saturna Café and Haggis Farm Bakery and prepared by Hubertus Surm, Ian Warren and Shawn.

After a delicious meal, Charles Reif traced formation of the housing society back to the first Saturna Open Space Meeting in March 07 and noted that by the second Open Space, held March 08, affordable housing was seen as one of the four key issues for the sustainability of our island community.

Jamie Ritchie led lively discussions on the following topics:

1. WHO IS LOOKING FOR HOUSING?

Those at the meeting included both summer workers and year-round families and would-be families. It was noted that renters are crucial members of the community, not just as workers but also, for example, as volunteers for fire and ambulance services.

2. WHAT’S THE CURRENT SITUATION?

Participants said there are renters in substandard and temporary quarters and potential island workers who can’t be here due to the lack of secure, affordable rentals.
Our island is changing. Many spoke of the desire to make their lives here, to buy a home and raise a family, but said they are stymied by the absence of affordable homes.

3. VISIONS FOR SUCCESS

If we created additional secure rental units, places would free up for short-term and summer renters. A proposal was presented by Andrew Money (see article this issue) for “starter homes”.
Other alternatives included group or co-op ownership, as in Breezy Bay and the David Elford group.

It was suggested that the Community Housing Society could possibly: buy land and increase density, using the Official Community Plan to rezone for non-profit housing; advocate OCP changes to favour affordable housing: investigate creative mortgage options; establish a “materials bank” to recycle surplus building materials; and find ways to reduce building costs.

4. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

The participants wanted support from the community and suggested: materials donations, barn raisings, sweat equity, land donations to a charitable trust, managing renting of vacant houses, cheap “seasonal” dwellings, and utilizing all the unused “cottage” density entitlements. They wanted us to continue talking to other islands, to identify their successes.

The Saturna Community Housing Society wants to thank everyone for coming out to our first public discussion meeting and sharing your concerns and ideas. Getting this information is a tremendous help in determining our next steps.

The SATURNA COMMUNITY HOUSING SOCIETY – who, what and why?
April 29th 2008 Public Meeting Notes
So What do you mean by "affordable housing"?
What is a Land Trust?

Charles Reif, President
Anthony Green, Vice-President
Ellen McGinn, Secretary
Frank Godwin, Treasurer October 6, 2008
Annie Simmonds, Director at Large

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