SRD Seeks Electoral Approval To Raise Up To $10 Million For New Housing Service

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) wants to set up its own housing service. They hope to raise up to $10,000,000 for applicable projects and non-profits. This is to be administered through loans, which developers must pay back, but would initially be funded through property taxes. The SRD will be seeking your approval through an Alternate Approval Process. If 10% of the electorate (i.e.- 3,456 people) notify the SRD that they are opposed to this new service before 12:00 noon on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, it will be considered defeated and the SRD will have to consider other ways of raising the money.

A recent report from the CMHC estimates that in order to restore affordability, Canada will have to build 3.5 million housing units by 2030.

Meanwhile in the SRD, 45% of the renters who responded to last year’s Housing Needs Report stated they were paying more than they could afford for shelter. They were said to be ‘at risk’ of homelessness. This was brought home by Campbell River’s recent Point In Time count, in which 33% of the city’s unhoused population reported they lost their homes because they did not have a sufficient income. 

Last August, Senior Manager Aniko Nelson told the Board that if they set up the proposed housing service, “We will  enable ourselves to champion housing related projects throughout the region, as opposed to being that local government which is unable to assist those that are working so hard to provide affordable housing and below market housing throughout the region.”

Regional Director Robyn Mawhinney, of Area C, subsequently told Cortes Currents, “The Regional Housing Service and borrowing bylaws would afford opportunities for the Strathcona Regional District to partner with local housing societies across the Regional District. The SRD can work to address specific challenges, such as workforce, housing and social housing issues. Each project would be individually examined and measured by the board.”

Aniko Nelson: “It would enable partnerships with First Nations, which are looking to provide housing throughout the region right now. There's First Nations that are currently purchasing land. It would enable us to work together with those First Nations to provide that housing. It would allow us to work with other not-for-profit agencies that are providing housing and working towards applications to support funding for those initiatives and it would also enable us to provide opportunities for provincial lobbying.”

Robyn Mawhinney: “In a Regional District, everything is siloed in services. If there isn't a service, there isn't a way for the regional district to approach a subject or work on a specific item. One of the benefits of having a Regional Housing Service would be that the Regional District is able to access Federal funds such as the Housing Accelerator Fund.

The SRD was able to apply for a Housing Accelerator grant because it could show it was working towards setting up a housing service.

That decision was made at the August 16, 2023 Board meeting.

Cortes Island Director Mark Vonesch said,  “I support the creation of a Regional Housing Service. Looking at our campaigns eight months ago, a lot of us ran on the fact there's a lot of need for housing in all of our communities, including Cortes.”

At that time, the proposed loan limit was $6 million. Director Vonesch suggested that be raised to $10 million: