Tag Archives: Cortes seasonal homelessness

Housing

Solutions for the ‘Unsheltered’ and ‘at Risk’ crisis on Cortes and Quadra Islands

According to Linda Bernicki, Director of Rural Health and Wellness at the  Rural Development Network, “Housing is a human right and just not housing, safe and stable housing is a human right. So if I’m in housing that doesn’t have any heat or running water, then I’m denied a basic human right, and it takes all levels of government and all levels of society to work together to start to develop responses that is going to limit and homelessness.” 

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Housing

Potentially More than 1200 ‘housing unstable’ in the SRD

There may be more than 1,200 ‘housing unstable’ people in the Strathcona Regional District. 

This figure arises from a statement Emma Wallace, of the Rural Development Network, made when she released the comments from the ‘Collecting Stories of Where you Live’ data collection project.

Wallace’s organization was commissioned by the Campbell River & District Coalition to End Homelessness (CRDCEH) and the Urban Indigenous Housing and Wellness Coalition (UIHWC) to conduct the housing and service needs estimation in the Strathcona Regional District earlier this year. The ‘stories’ her organization collected were written responses to the housing needs survey.

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Housing

The rural housing and service needs survey

The Strathcona Regional District is in the midst of a 30 day survey of rural housing insecurity and service needs. The Campbell River and District Coalition to end homelessness emailed copies to every Vancouver Island Regional Library in the district. There was a network of volunteers ready to work with them on Cortes Island and individual volunteers on Quadra, but some areas can only be reached through social media. The survey comes to an end on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

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Development, Housing, Seniors

Cortes Island takes step to solve seniors housing crisis

National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Cortes Island senior Hanyu Wasyliwis is in no hurry to unpack the boxes after her latest move.

The 77-year-old is settling into her new digs at her leisure because, for once, she’s not going anywhere.

“I do not intend to pack up and move ever again, God willing,” she said laughing.

Wasyliw is one of the residents moving into new housing at the Cortes Island Seniors Village, which provides stable, affordable units so older residents can age in place among family and friends.

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Housing, Opinion

Who WIll Be Left? Cortes Island Housing crisis

1 Comment

[Editorial by Bill Dougan, reprinted with permission and some editing; this article first appeared in Tideline on Jan 15, 2021]

As long as I have resided on Cortes Island, housing has been an issue. In my earlier days many folks had housing most of the year, but would move out to allow the owners to enjoy their property during the summer months. This was not an ideal situation but it now appears, in hindsight, the Good Ol’ Days.

This year we have 18 families residing on the Gorge Harbour Marina Resort property; most of these people are here because they cannot find a place to live. Some of these people have lived on Cortes Island for years, built a life here, have friends and children here… but now find themselves with no place to stay on a permanent basis .

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