When the Brown Avenue fire erupted, it put people’s lives and property in danger.
But it also added one more problem to the lives of renters all across Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and neighbouring communities.
With a vacancy rate of just 0.8 per cent, there is absolutely no slack left in the local rental market.
For decades, federal and provincial governments let their responsibilities to create affordable housing slide. Municipal governments skewed their policies towards the creation of mostly low-density single-family neighbourhoods dominated by homeowners.
Those who, by choice or circumstance, are renters were left to fend for themselves.
Our governments have woken up to the problem, but it takes a long time to change a market like housing.
What’s needed locally are two-track plans – short term and long term.
Short term, create more basement suites, coach houses, laneway houses, whatever can be built in a season or two. Higher-density apartments are great, but take years to build.
In the long term, it’s not just about building more housing.
It’s about changing the mix of owned versus rental housing in our communities, permanently. A mixture of construction and policy is needed. From changed community plans to provincial and federal incentives, it’s going to take a lot to make sure that the displacement of fire victims isn’t also a housing crisis.
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