Accommodate rising demand

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I have written to this newspaper before concerning my opinion on the housing problems in North Saanich.

As a physician who relocated to the Sidney area 10 months ago, I am interested to find an acceptable house and make this our long term home for my spouse and myself. This was also the desire of two delightful families in my practice, but it will not occur for them.

One elderly couple had moved here and scoured the landscape for a detached single family home with one-floor living.

The best they could find was a fairly new modestly sized abode which sold for over $650,000. They have decided to move to the Cowichan Valley where they purchased a new home of equivalent size and quality for $360,000.

Another young family whose main source of income was the husband’s skilled labour job have decided to relocate to another province because of an extreme lack of new single family housing in this area.

A healthy community needs to offer at least some affordable new single family housing. High density two-level condominium housing is not desirable for seniors who want one-floor living nor is it wanted by families with children.

As I have mentioned before, there are large tracts of empty completely unused land in this area. Studies have shown that the ALR in B.C. has wildly skewed land valuations and actually caused a decrease in overall production of agricultural products in this province.

We need sensible and progressive solutions to grow the community properly.

This must involve at least some new and affordable single family housing to accommodate the rising demand.

Robert H. Brown

Sidney