Editor, with permission.
Published: March 16, 2010 3:00 PM in the
Comox Valley RecordCumberland council has an interesting choice to make regarding an affordable housing proposal for the village’s main street.
As presented by Lisa Berg of Planit solutions, the 29-unit rental housing project proposed by Mathot Homes for Dunsmuir Avenue would give priority to working singles in low-paying jobs and seniors on fixed incomes.
The three-storey building next to the King George Hotel would include a laundromat and a storefront with leasable commercial space.
Berg’s presentation noted that the development promotes residential infill on an existing bus route, introduces housing that complements its surroundings and provides housing for tenants of various ages. No downside there.
The Len Mathot project, Berg said, adheres to SmartGrowth principles and “eight pillars of sustainability,” including green design and progressive management.
Regarding that last point, one of the most intriguing aspects is the intention to have a non-profit group manage it.
The president of the Comox Valley Affordable Housing Society, who enthusiastically supported the proposal in an address to council, contrasted for-profit and non-profit management models by using two local examples.
Betty-Anne Juba noted the Washington Inn (infamous locally for the “social problems” of its tenants) has been managed by lawyers and accountants for the income only. The non-profit Lions Valley View Estates is one of the best affordable rental complexes in the area, Juba stated.
On the face of it, there doesn’t seem to be any downside — although the developer is asking council to waive development cost and water connection charges to reward the affordability aspects of the proposal.
The cash-strapped Village of Cumberland cannot do this lightly, except this would be part of revitalizing downtown, and it would set a great example of a local government encouraging much-needed affordable housing in the Valley.