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LETTER: Wrong thinking on affordable housing

Regarding the article by Lauren Boothby, “DOS crack down on Airbnb.” Using the buzzwords “affordable housing” is misleading. Affordable means you can afford what is being sold.

Regarding the article by Lauren Boothby, “DOS crack down on Airbnb.”
Using the buzzwords “affordable housing” is misleading. Affordable means you can afford what is being sold.

There are many people who can afford the price of homes in Squamish apparently.
Squamish has approx. 7,400 homes, with 3,400 being detached homes. The average family is three to four people, but most households are two people. The majority of new projects plan for two to three-bedroom homes.

Lauren’s argument to crack down on Airbnb is flawed economically. There is a need for “subsidized rental housing” not privately-owned housing forced to be affordable.
250 active Airbnb listings of which 70 per cent are entire homes, means 175 single detached homes out of the 3,400 are ‘sometimes’ rented on Airbnb. Even if all the 250 Airbnb listings were rented out long term, they would provide space for approx. 1,000 people (Quest houses 700). The assumption that they would be affordable if rented long term is a mistake.
The speculation tax is the provincial government ‘speculating’ on what should be done, to assume it will ease rental demand is naïve. The cost will be passed on to the renters, and the District will not receive any money from the province to help alleviate the need for subsidized rental housing.

In a province where 90 per cent of the land is owned by the province or First Nations, and the other 10 per cent is privately held, in one of the most sought-after places to live.
We do have an issue with housing that needs to be address for those in our community, just as we need to nurture economic business investment to provide better paying living wages.
Crown land needs to be released to municipalities, such as Squamish to provide subsidized rental housing at below market levels. The province and the communities will all benefit, so will those trying to further their lives.

If the District truly wants to alleviate housing issues, they are partners of the Oceanfront development. This large piece of land in downtown Squamish has been empty for years, costing millions. A good portion of the land could be developed to provide a home for many who wish to stay or move to this great community.
The mistake is thinking affordability should be everywhere anyone chooses to live, regardless of market demand.
Look at other desirable places in the world and you will find similar issues.
Rob Weys, Squamish

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