Guest Speaker....Selina Robinson - The Task Group on Homelessness in the Tricites

Both Chris and Selina are active on the outreach subcommittee of the task group and are trying to promote awareness of the issue and engage the community in discussions on the concerns. Selina provided an overview of different types of housing: emergency shelters; transition, supportive, market and non market rental and home ownership.  Most people raecognize that affordability is now a factor in the lower mainland area and some people will move away from    the area because of the higher costs of housing. 

She also spoke of the impact of the widening income gap and the coming Evergreen line which is seeing older, more affordable rental stock be sold off for higher cost new homes.

They reviewed the recent data on average costs of renting/owning in the Tricities and the kinds
of incomes that would be required to meet the market rates for either rental or ownership.

Selina also spoke of the socio/economic impacts of the high housing costs:

 people have less disposable income to participate in the economy
 health and social costs increase
 social networks are less stable as people will move more frequently

Some options currently in place/or are being discussed to help mitigate the pressures included

 supporting non profits to work together
 increase rental stock
 density incentives
 share equity ownership

It is hard to imagine not going home at the end of the day to a safe, stable and secure home. We thank Chris and Selina for their presentation to the Club today and for making us aware of the work of the Committee.