Being that housing issues go round and round in the Bow Valley, without much progress being made on creating more and/or more affordable housing, we’re happy to see that a new draft housing policy in Banff looks to address the issue.
The Community Housing Strategy Committee, which last week released its draft housing strategy, is now looking for public feedback until Sept. 21 on its visions and short- and long-term recommendations.
Please offer your feedback.
Without feedback (and how often are you asked to comment on something really important), it will be difficult for the committee and town council to cobble together workable solutions.
And at this point in time, what’s more important than our housing issues – valley-wide?
When people are leaving the valley because of housing difficulties, or when people don’t arrive in the valley in the first place because of housing difficulties (we all know someone in one of these situations), it’s a real problem.
A real problem. And that’s why here at the Outlook we’re more than a little disappointed with some of the immediate backlash that has accompanied proposals to increase the amount of housing available in our valley – particular Caribou Properties proposal to build staff accommodation in Banff and the possibility of replacing the old Canmore daycare with housing of some sort.
We do appreciate homeowners’ concerns for their property values, the impression of the sanctity of R-1 housing, concerns with overcrowding in certain areas and the possibility of an increase in crime should more dense housing be embraced.
On the other hand, we’re pretty sure that not everybody who is safely ensconced in an R-1 property in Banff and Canmore stepped right into it at some time in their lives. We imagine that, in the beginning, like most people, present homeowners were just starting out, maybe struggling with post-secondary school tuitions, maybe starting families, maybe embarking on a career with that first job.
Sure, a fortunate few may have stepped right into a detached home, but more likely present homeowners embarked on the classic apartment rental, save up for a down payment, buy a first starter home or condo path to eventual bliss as an R-1 homeowner.
It therefore wouldn’t hurt to show a little more empathy for those who don’t, or can’t, have it all at the present time. Not everyone is in a position to invest in a house, picket fence, 2.5 kids and a dog.
In the end, if you don’t support implementation of some sort of affordable housing initiative, you also don’t support local businesses whose owners are struggling to attract, or keep, staff. Should businesses begin shutting down, rather than just reducing hours, because they can’t retain staff, it’s a problem.
That person who puts just the right swirl in your cappucino, grills your steak to perfection, or helps you find the select jeans that hug your bottom in just the right way, is likely just starting out as we all did at some point.
So when it comes to offering input to the Community Housing Strategy Committee, it would be best if said input came from servers, homeowners, rental agents, parents, employers, long-time residents, seniors, renters, staff accommodation dwellers …
If you’re not happy with a slumlord, if you think new construction is a bad thing, if you think new construction is long overdue, if your kid can’t find a place to live, if you can’t find employees – have your input heard.
Time is short on this, so immediate valuable input is necessary.
