Tag Archives: Seasonal Homelessness

Housing

‘Unsheltered’ and ‘At Risk’ Populations on Cortes and Quadra Islands

In the Spring of 2022, Campbell River & District Coalition to End Homelessness and the Urban Indigenous Housing and Wellness Coalition  commisioned a series of studies of the housing crisis in our area. One components was a survey called ‘Collecting Stories of Where We Live’ conducted by the Rural Development Network. 110 Cortes Island and 43 Area C residents participated (all but two of the latter were from Quadra Island).  

“The purpose was to provide a comprehensive picture of housing instability and homelessness in the area to help inform service providers and municipal, provincial, and federal policies, practices, and funding decisions. And then to elevate and incorporate the voices of folks who are experiencing homelessness in solutions to end homelessness,” explained Emma Wallace, Project Manager of Community Development and Homelessness Estimations at the Rural Development Network.

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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, Politics

Mark Vonesch 6: Housing, The number one issue in this election

The Electoral Areas Housing Needs Report identified an immediate demand for 75 rental and 40 retail units on Cortes Island. 

In a previous interview, Mark Vonesch from the Cortes Community Housing Society, said, “I hear stories of people having to quit their jobs because they can’t find housing for the summer. I know people that are living under a tarp. I know seniors that are living in a tent.”  

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Housing, Indigenous Nations

Tla-o-qui-aht calls on regional leaders to address west coast housing crisis

By Melissa Renwick, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofino, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation is calling upon regional leaders on Vancouver Island’s west coast to come together to tackle the issue of affordable housing in the region.

One consequence of the housing crisis is that Tla-o-qui-aht members have lost the ability to return to live in their homelands, read a release issued by Tla-o-qui-aht’s ha’wiih (hereditary chiefs) and elected council on July 4.

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Housing

Rural Housing Survey 1: unaffordable rents, vacant houses, Airbnbs

Forty-five percent (45%) of the respondents renting homes in rural areas say they pay more than they can afford, according to the SRD Electoral Areas Housing Needs Report.

Statistics from the 2016 census support this. 41% of renters and 9% of home owners in the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) paid more than 30% of their income on accommodation. 

“This survey sheds light on an issue that is kind of hidden. People that are living in unstable housing aren’t necessarily telling everyone about it because it can be embarrassing. ‘I can’t afford the right housing,’ or ‘I’m living in an overcrowded place,’ or ‘I’m having to choose between good food or paying my rent,’” said Mark Vonesch from the Cortes Community Housing Society, one of the key stakeholders in this study. 

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