Letters, Dec. 7, 2019: City of Vancouver's record on housing is abysmal
Credit to Author: Carolyn Soltau| Date: Sat, 07 Dec 2019 02:00:06 +0000
As a resident renter in the South Cambie area for some two decades, I’ve observed close up how the rezoning and development of Cambie Street has led to higher housing costs across the board. First of all, many of the high-end condo projects were marketed directly to wealthy investors, which immediately shut out local middle-income earners such as myself. In the meantime, single-family lots worth half a million saw their value skyrocket to $5 million in about a decade.
This also had the effect of pushing up property values on adjacent streets due to them being relatively cheap. I know of no new “affordable” housing in the area. The city’s plan to earmark future densification to rental stock will do little to remedy that situation since market rentals are already priced unaffordably. Plus, there is no guarantee those rental units won’t get converted to stratas at a future time, as happened in the early days of the condo boom some 30 years ago in neighbourhoods such as Mount Pleasant.
In short, the City of Vancouver’s record on housing continues to be abysmal.
Charles Leduc, Vancouver
In the aftermath of the recent London Bridge terrorist attack and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s death, I continue to be amazed why the term Islam (which literally means “peace”) is routinely attached to such incidents and individuals. For example, “Islamist terrorism” or “Khalifa of the Islamic State.” There is nothing Islamic about them, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not a spiritual successor to a prophet.
The New Zealand mosque attacker, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, who killed and injured over 100 Muslims during Friday prayer services, in his manifesto, quoted Pope Urban II’s call for crusades: “Let our lives be stronger than death to fight against the enemies of the Christian people.”
This is not called (and rightly so) “Christianist terrorism”.
Lunatics or psychopaths falsely use references, but this is never expected from peace-loving individuals with common sense.
Muneer Ahmad Khan, Ottawa
I guess I should not be surprised at how wasteful city art has become and how disappointing, especially in light of the proposed City of Vancouver tax increase. Yes, the spinning chandelier was designed by a local artist, and yes, Westbank graciously paid an American company to create this vision. But ultimately, the homebuyers are the ones who will foot the cost when they purchase a new condo.
This further adds to the already high, one-third cost of each condominium that goes to various levels of government. I ask Mayor Kennedy: “Why not divert those monies to Oppenheimer Park rather than a light installed under a bridge that few will ever see?”
This is reminiscent of the folklore of Rome in 64AD. Responsible individuals and businesses seek ways to save and find the best uses for their hard-earned money. It would be nice to see all levels of government operate with the same intent. Then maybe affordable housing could become a reality.
Dan Mott, Burnaby
Re: “Council passes single-use plastics ban bylaw”, Nov. 30.
While plastic drinking straws, eating utensils, and bags are undesirable single-use, petroleum-based items, they are all potentially recyclable. More troubling to me is the single-use gasoline that comes out of vehicle exhausts as climate-destabilizing gases that cannot be recycled (easily).
Unfortunately, some political roads are easier to negotiate but may be much less consequential.
D.B. Wilson, Port Moody
The number of homeless has not decreased. People use food banks and pay more for transit and just about every thing else. Many, many people are not getting increases in pensions and wages to cover their living expenses. Unaffordable is becoming a reality in this already expensive city.
I am amazed that council believes that four- or six-storey rentals will fix the problem today. It appears council cannot snap its fingers and magically build these necessary units.
I urge council to stop fretting over straws and plastic bags. Address the serious issues of today, please.
Kathleen Szabo, Vancouver
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