Action on Salt Spring Housing

Back in 2023, when I first ran for Salt Spring’s Local Community Commission, I heard loud and clear that housing was our community’s most pressing issue. And that’s still the case today.

Once I was sworn in to the LCC, I immediately asked the Commission to identify housing for working people and their families as our community’s number one economic sustainability issue. That motion passed unanimously.

I called for the LCC to meet with housing-related organizations to identify the most appropriate next steps to encourage more housing for Salt Spring working people. That happened during our early months in office. The Commission requested that Salt Spring be included in the Provincial Speculation and Vacancy Tax, a change that the Province has not yet approved.

This initial work led to the LCC identifying housing as a top priority in its first strategic plan and then starting development of an integrated housing strategy and action plan for Salt Spring. That process is now nearing completion and, if elected in October, I will work with the LCC to implement it.

But we need to do much more. While housing is a big issue everywhere and no local government on its own can entirely solve all the challenges, we can and must do much more here on Salt Spring.

Clearly, the main location for additional housing must be in and adjacent to Ganges, where we already have services like water and sewer in place or nearby and the environmental impact of building new housing will be less than in new far-flung low-density subdivisions. This can and must happen without affecting any protected agricultural land.

Our greatest need is for multi-family housing, as opposed to single family houses, of which we already have plenty. And we need rental housing first and foremost, with affordable ownership housing the next priority.

We need more formally-defined affordable housing (which is government-subsidized to keep it affordable) and we also need more moderately-priced market housing in Ganges, especially multi-family housing like townhouses and small apartment buildings. We don’t just need more subsidized affordable housing, nor do we just need more market housing; we need both.

There are practical things we can do now to encourage new housing of these types on Salt Spring. Specifically, we must:

Approve and implement the new Salt Spring Island Integrated Housing Strategy

This strategy is currently being finalized – Salt Spring’s first in 15 years – and it could and should be our roadmap for making the changes we need to move beyond talk and start actually creating more housing.

While the strategy is not yet final, I’m encouraged by the drafts that call for things like housing above commercial space in Ganges, tiny home villages, increased housing density in and near Ganges and better coordination among government agencies. Cooperation among the LCC/CRD, Islands Trust, water providers and other agencies will be essential.

Explore the creation of a Salt Spring Island housing agency

Some Salt Spring housing advocates have argued that our current combination of private sector housing builders, government agencies and hard-working non-profits does not have all the tools we need to make big progress on housing. They argue that a Salt Spring-specific housing agency able to build and operate housing is the missing link.

There are fundamental questions that need to be answered before we go this route, including how a local housing agency would be funded and how it would cooperate with the existing organizations on Salt Spring that are already working to build and operate affordable housing. We need to answer these questions and soon. If those answers point to a new housing agency as a key to getting more housing built, then we should act promptly to establish one.

Work to extend the Ganges Sewer System to appropriate additional areas adjacent to the current service area

Another of the keys to adding additional housing in Ganges is the availability of water and sewer hookups. In most of the Ganges area, North Salt Spring Waterworks District can provide service and with the current loosening of the District’s moratorium, there is hope for more housing in Ganges. We also need to make sure sewer connections are available in Ganges. In some cases, we should consider proactively extending existing sewer lines to serve potential housing sites in strategic locations, perhaps including Drake Road.

Make unused parkland available for housing

Through our parks and recreation service, our community owns a variety of properties, many of them well-used for parks and recreation. However, there are some park properties that have been in public hands for a long time, but are not particularly well suited to use as parks. A few of these have potential for very small-scale affordable housing. Turning these properties into housing would not be a simple task, but it’s doable and if I am elected in October, I will work with the LCC to identify appropriate properties and how we might make them available for affordable housing. It would not be a lot of housing units, but every one helps.

These actions are just the start. If I’m elected in October, they will be at the top of my agenda. It’s time for us to act decisively and not just keep saying housing is important while continuing with the status quo.