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Summary of discussions:
Shawn presented the challenges he feels in business and wanting a future on
this Island, and seeing that he may have to leave because he can’t afford
to own or rent, or find rental here.
He now rents a 3 bdm apartment—part of a house—for $800 including
utilities; previously they were in a place for $700 plus utilities….for
what you can earn here, its difficult to stay. As an employer, you cannot pay
wages high enough to pay for housing and living expenses; in the summer, when
rental demand is highest (summer workers), the supply is lowest, as winter renters
are turfed out by non-resident owners who want to occupy their homes, and/or
do short term vacation rentals.
Jamie asked how you define affordable? Susanne confirmed that average house on a lot costs $300,000-600,000. Shawn is looking for under $300,000. He wonders if the community could develop affordable multi-units as a rental.
Jon added that the problem is widespread – look at Vancouver and Victoria prices. Charles pointed out that closer to home, all the Gulf Islands are having an affordability crisis. Since the issue was raised at last year’s open space, Charles went to an affordable housing conference on Hornby Island, has written in the scribbler, and is part of a group who are forming two non-profit societies to pursue affordable community housing on Saturna, one of them to be a Land Trust. The timing is now to engage the island’s owners and residents in looking for viable solutions.
Jon says he’s believed we have far too many empty houses while people go without a place to live --- what we need is a bylaw making it illegal to keep a house unoccupied. Absentee owners would have to make suites or rent their houses.
Charles mentions a slightly different take that came up at a morning meeting --- the Tsawout are negotiating with a developer for a “cultural cost charge” on development, to go into a fund. One could consider a “levy in lieu of volunteer participation” which could go towards supporting our island services.
Richard pointed out that our single family bylaws prevent legal suites --- Charles spoke of our current OCP making provision for Multiresidential zoning for nonprofit housing, but only with a minimum of 2 acres and a max. of 4 units per acre. The idea of non-centralized “affordable triplexes” on residential lots is not even on the scope. Jamie said there are new provision possibilities in the past few years that didn’t exist when our last OCP review happened…such as inclusionary zoning, granny suites, secondary suites. Jon points out there are secondary suites on Saturna, they just aren’t legal. Richard felt that a group could undertake to review and propose changes to the bylaws with respect to affordable housing, especially to encourage suites. We could also strongly encourage buyers to add them. Susannne was asked if her clients would be attracted to secondary suites, but she felt it wasn’t appealing to the second home buyers.
Shawn had had the idea of mixing different developments, such as affordable units with time shares or more expensive houses, so that the affordable component could be subsidized by the market component. Richard referred to the Land Trusts on the San Juans, where the biggest problem is rich people selling their homes and moving into the Land Trust units. Charles said obviously one must make sure one’s controls are tight, and that only people for whom the community has expended its resources are allowed to rent or purchase --- the intent is a community asset, so it must serve, and be seen to serve, the community’s needs. He added that while Charitable organizations have a strict limit of 10% of their revenues not going to the objects of their charitable purpose, Non-Profits that aren’t charities could presumably enter into commercial components to subsidize affordable housing (if the numbers work).
Richard argued that we will never be able to raise enough money to build units from our small resident population, so we should try legislation to require rental housing. Susanne believes there’s a limit on what can be forced on property owners, but perhaps inducements could be found.
Jamie pointed out that at least in the short term, the numbers are not so large --- 8 to 10 units of affordable housing would be a big change here. Shawn points out that there would be more needed if provided, because young people are not staying here when they can’t find affordable accommodation.
Susanne spoke of the limit on build-out on the island --- are we not short of density to add much to what the current build-out is, ie. Around 800 houses….and we have 500 now (to our amazement)… Jamie pointed out that there is unbuilt density on the island --- David Elford has some 30 units unbuilt. Jon could build 2 houses on the upper store’s land. Moneys have density, Campbells have density, Ron Hall has density. And in the end, our density caps, our bylaws, our OCP are changeable --- we as a community can redefine for various purposes, if we can convince our communities.
What Jon would like to do is rezone the pub upper parking lot for some form of hostel/ seasonal housing, to help the summer worker housing crunch. Steve and Susanne announced that they have just received a grant to build 4 units of 750sf, no kitchens, at the school, to accommodate 2-3 students each, with a communal kitchen in the school… AND, they were looking to rent it out in the summer when there’s no students!!! Could this be symbiosis?!!!
Shawn reminds us that long term rentals are needed too…and ownership
opportunities.
Its ironic that we are all talking about volunteers for this and that, but also
saying we are volunteered out. Richard says, yes we are overtaxed as volunteers…(implying
again that some kind of balancing is needed between services and those served?)
Susanne recounted her involvement with a Saltspring Affordable Housing Group,
its such a slog, finally they got a grant to hire one fulltime worker, it’s
a bit better, but its hard going and takes a long time.
Shawn asks if he can get involved with the Affordable Housing Group on island
--- of course!
Ellen said yes we need rentals for summer workers, but also rentals for short
term so people can get to land on the island, get to know it, see possibilities
to live here –how else will our next electrician, our next plumber, get
here? And finally, ways for families who want to own a home or have some form
of long term security here.
How can young families own a home on this island? Susanne says there are currently 4 properties for sale for $165,000 or less, one has a cabin, one a trailer, two are vacant. Shawn said, but I’ve looked into this, the banks will not give an advantageous (10% down) mortgage for undeveloped land. So without a house and services, no mortgage – but without a mortgage, no land or house at all. Unless he can find vendor financing, he can’t do anything. Discussion followed on whether a community initiative to approach financial institutions with the request for a new kind of mortgage for affordable housing options, for unserviced land acquisition, for this need. Perhaps a nonprofit society could lobby for this. Something to pursue.
But young people need to have a job, as well as a house. But also, if we do not accommodate young workers, businesses will fold, the island will contract.
Sources of funding for affordable housing? Charles mentioned the lobbying for Property Transfer Tax being returned to the community for affordable housing initiatives. Both the Real Estate Board and UBCM have sent letters to the province. Susanne added the funds of the Real Estate Foundation…apply for a grant. Jamie says the deadline is April 15, call Tim Pringle.
So, Richard says, Jon could build 2 units, Carefree Court could add 4 units
(rezoned for a broader mandate than just seniors?), we could actively encourage
rentals, and we could work with higher density…on the San Juans, approached
a landowner to build 8 houses, the community provided the zoning exception,
on conditions of affordability….OR you could guarantee a per unit payment
to the landowner, if he will transfer the land to a Land Trust. You keep it
affordable by housing agreements, now allowed in the Provincial legislation.
Or, says Jamie, you could purchase a lot with allowance for 1 dwelling, and
rezone to capture density for the affordable housing goal, as a community density
amenity. All across Canada, there are initiatives to assist affordable housing
creation. Affordable home ownership.
Richard wants to know if there are 8 people on this Island who have the money to buy these units, if they got built. [Shawn has offered to host a gathering of the younger community, where answers might be forthcoming]. Shawn reminded that long term rentals should always be part of the picture, because there will be people who won’t be able to buy. Richard is still unconvinced of the viability of a nonprofit cluster scheme…even if land cost is reduced, there are no economics in building rentals, the costs are too high. The general feeling is that we would need grants, and justification to support grants. Or the opportunity to sell some of the lande assets to support building. Agreed that the first step is to find the land. This is where we are now.
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