Build houses we can afford (for the love of God!)

Will some one please tell me just who it is that is buying all of the new condos going up and where they work? For the rest of us there are fewer and fewer places to rent and we're being pushed further away from nice neighborhoods. Anyone ever wonder how slums are created? Or why we have a steady hike in the amount of homeless on our streets? Enjoy those condos though...I didn't like my view of the mountains anyway.

the below article is from the Province, May 13th

As the Province's special report over the weekend made abundantly clear, "affordable" housing is at a premium in Metro Vancouver -- and especially in the City of Vancouver.

The buoyant economy means there's a strong demand for houses and a shortage of supply, at least of those that are within reach of average families on tight budgets.

No doubt market forces will reverse this at some time. In the meantime, though, municipalities throughout the Metro and Fraser Valley regions should look at ways of encouraging the building of reasonably priced homes.

Reporter Lena Sin focused in yesterday's paper on how the municipality of Whistler had established a housing trust fund to keep prices considerably below market value for resident employees and their families.

It appears to work well for those who, without it, would not earn enough to buy a place in a high-end ski resort.

The only big problem seems to be the big waiting list.

Another way for municipal governments to help young families get a leg up on the property ladder is to

encourage the building of rowhouses and houses on smaller lots -- as they have done extensively in Europe.

What is required here is for civic planners to be more imaginative and ratepayers to be less NIMBY-minded about what type of homes they're prepared to allow.

Well-built housing that occupies a smaller footprint doesn't have to lower the property values in predominantly single-family neighbourhoods.

It can enhance them -- for the benefit of all concerned.

© The Vancouver Province 2008