City of Kamloops work to address affordable housing exemplary

The most recent announcement came yesterday, with 52 new units being promised for the downtown.

The model is simple: the city has the property and leases it to a social agency for construction and operation of housing.

The projects announced are plopped down on sensible locations that can support the extra density, transportation needs and in some cases, access to services.

Think back to most complaints about what’s happening in Kamloops these days.

Most of them revolve around drug use, mental health, crime and homelessness.

Studies have shown stable housing is perhaps the most important building block shown to improve every aspect of a person’s life.

It gives people the best chance to get a leg up on their addiction issues and find solid employment.

In a market where rental vacancy is extremely low, landlords can charge almost as much as they want for their properties, quickly pricing low-income tenants out of the market.

It is up to social agencies to ensure rental rates and purchase prices remain low.

This is a case where the proper studies – yes, those expensive studies – were done to conclusively identify a problem and point to potential solutions.

City council and administration have worked with external agencies to truly get the ball rolling.

We will certainly see an improvement in the lives of individuals and the city as a whole when these developments are built and occupied.

There are many good reasons to chide this current city council, but its work on affordable housing shouldn’t be one of them.

by Two & Out

City of Kamloops work to address affordable housing exemplary

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