Letterbox: Lack of parking not a reason to delay affordable housing

Dear editor,

I have never responded to any article, however, I felt compelled regarding this one.

I find it very interesting that this building has not been given the go-ahead, apparently because of lack of parking stalls.

As the New View Society executive director and the B.C. Housing regional development director stated, most people that would be living in that building would not have vehicles. I imagine a good number of the future residents may be coming from a homeless situation.

My question is . . . what is the real issue? Because I do not believe it is parking stalls.

Developers of complexes that are being rented at market rent, or being sold, have constantly been given the go-ahead for their developments, and actually are being rushed through and permits have been made easier to get. The government keeps telling us all this (OVER) development (in my humble opinion) is needed because there is a lack of housing.

Does the government really believe everyone is that stupid and blind? There is not a lack of housing, many of the units that are purchased in some of these developments have sat empty for years. People that can afford to buy them get around the empty home tax, or don’t care, they have more than enough money, I doubt they worry about that pittance (to them) of money needed for the empty home tax.

The true lack of housing is AFFORDABLE housing, that is why there are more and more people homeless, living in their vehicles, in tents, young people never being able to afford to move away from home, if they do with a few roommates it is short lived.

So why is this BC Housing building not been given the go-ahead? Not because of a lack of parking stalls.

I would hazard to guess because these people do not want mentally ill people, people of low income, living in their neighbourhood. The one fellow already spoke as if the building was not used for the current purpose in future and it hasn’t been built yet!

With the way things are, as far as shelter costs go, in this province, and a lot of the country, I don’t imagine that this BC Housing building would ever be used for anything but its intended purpose and I am positive there would be a waitlist from day one, that will have people on it for years before anything comes available.

I suggest, going forward, that the powers that be speak the truth, because most people who think they are slick with their obfuscating do not understand that just because they are not called out on their nonsense, does not mean that they are not, in reality, rather transparent, and people see right through them.

Sincerely,
K. Docherty