The recently introduced residential guest accommodation (RGA, aka short term rental or STR) bylaw was the first of a range of issues up for debate at an all candidates meeting hosted Sept. 29 in Gibsons by the housing advocacy group Cover the Coast. The event included submitted public questions posed to those looking to serve as Town mayor and councillors for the next four years in the Oct. 15 local government elections. Two council candidates, Bob Morris and Christi Thompson were not in attendance.
RGA bylaw questioned
When asked about support for the bylaw or alternatives that they would propose to bring more rentals into the long-term market, mayoral candidate Leslie Thomson said he did not support the existing RGA rules, as they limit the opportunities of residents, especially seniors to generate needed income from their homes. As alternatives he said he would be open to initiatives like laneway housing, tiny homes and having people be able to rent out spaces within an existing home to others.
Thomson’s view on RGA regulation restrictions was challenged by fellow candidate for mayor Silas White. He pointed out rentals of rooms within a residential unit is supported in the new bylaw.
White also stated, “I am not a big fan of how development of this bylaw has taken place over the last four years …I found discussions at council unfocused and unclear." He pointed to the adoption of the term RGA, when other areas of the Coast have remained with STR as confusing and an example of one of the problems with the new legislation. He summed his views up by stating that while he supports having rules in place to govern short term accommodation uses, their introduction “should be more incremental.”
Phil Yeung, who is seeking the mayor’s chair did not directly comment on the RGA policy, but said his view was that more joint ventures are needed to foster the long term development of the Sunshine Coast.
Those exchanges were followed by questions to incumbent councillor candidates about the RGA bylaw’s “perceived shift” of responsibility for providing long term housing from the Town to its residents and plans for providing more workforce housing.
Coun. Stafford Lumley’s response was that he did not believe there was a correlation between the lack of long-term accommodation and the increase in short term rentals. Noting that he voted against the RGA bylaw, he voiced the view that “it’s too restrictive, I would like to open it back up and take a better look at it.”
As for answers to the lack of housing, he said, “The Town really just doesn’t have enough land to develop workforce housing projects,” and that those may need to be built outside of the community. He also suggested providing tax incentives to private property owners who develop long term rentals.
On the bylaw, Coun. David Croal said, “It is better to have something in place and to dial it back rather than try to put in more restrictions down the road”. He stated that discussions with the Coast’s Affordable Housing Society are under way for a potential 74-unit workforce housing development. “This is what we need to do to stimulate housing, work with groups that have land and partners that can finance projects,” said Croal.
Support for the bylaw was expressed by incumbent Coun. Annemarie de Andrade. “There is a need to regulate this use," she said adding that she was “open to look at the bylaw again … and to continue the dialogue with the community." She said she hoped the tourist accommodation industry would work with the Town to improve the bylaw moving forward.
In his initial turn with the microphone, first-time councillor candidate Des Delaney opted to chime in on the same question asked of the incumbents rather than one posed to the potential council newcomers on amending bylaws for alternative housing options on private properties.
“It [the RGA bylaw] is ridiculous… it is time to stop the stupidity and repeal the stupid bylaw,” he stated. He said he favours use of short-term rentals to support workforce accommodation.
The other council candidacy first-timer at the event, Greig Soohen, said he wanted to look at different ways to accommodate making long-term housing more available quickly such as suites within existing homes.
Council candidate Blake MacLeod expressed support for housing alternatives, especially co-housing projects, which he said build both accommodation and a sense of community. He went on to lobby for creation of serviced “hubs” throughout the Coast to accommodate tiny homes.
Long term plans for affordable housing
On the issue of working with the private and non-profit sector to meet housing needs, Yeung spoke in favor of inviting investors to come to the Coast. He said he would require that a set portion of units in any new housing developments be allocated as affordable and that those be mixed with market priced units to create more balanced neighbourhoods.
Both White and Thomson also favored mixed developments, with Thomson committing to “communication and public engagement” on such issues.
In response to a question on the existing barriers to building affordable and attainable housing, Croal cited “the price of land." He said developers opt to build condominiums for sale rather than units for rent to realize financial returns sooner.
De Andrade focused her response on what the Town has done to address the barriers including completing its housing strategy and engaging a housing coordinator. She said those actions will support efforts to attain senior government funding for affordable housing projects. “Obviously we have to look at our land and identify the parcels where we can do this… and look at policies that will support such projects,” she stated, speaking in support of findings ways to meet the criteria set by senior governments to get housing projects funded and completed.
Lumley spoke in favor of enabling projects through thoughtful consideration of zoning changes and variances. He also supported asking developers for physical units to be managed by the Affordable Housing Society rather than cash contributions towards the Town’s affordable housing fund.
An area where he said he sees a need for a change is in residential parking requirements. He said Gibsons has one of the highest ratios of required parking spots per residential unit. ”We’ve got to get over this,” he said pointing out that some communities have a ratio of .7 parking stalls per unit compared to Gibsons’s requirement of 1.5 spots per unit. In his view, the Town should lower that ratio and protect the environment by supporting efforts to have fewer cars on the roads.
MacLeod said he supports the concept of allowing coach houses where municipal services are available, telling the audience, “You can create a housing solution in your backyard." He outlined an initiative under way in Sechelt to identify areas where such additions are possible and that he would invite the proponents of that project to present to Gibsons council, once he secures his council seat.
Soohen agreed that such an innovation of mapping areas suitable for increased housing density would be a good thing to look at.
Delaney also supported the idea as well as looking at incentives to help property owners with the costs of building such structures.
Homelessness and housing insecurity
In response to a question about having the Town restrict its enforcement of bylaws when it comes to available, but less than fully approved housing options (such as use of RVs as full-time residences), Thomson said, “If we can’t offer an alternative to something we are trying to stop, then we can’t stop it." In his view council needs to come up with options for those who can’t afford existing housing options.
White said this is a complicated issue. He stressed that protective bylaws such as requirements around fire safety must be adhered to for all citizens. But he viewed the BC building code as too stringent in some areas and identified the need for council to advocate to the province for some relaxations.
“This is a big problem,” Yeung said, noting that “it is not up to one level of government to fix, it is up to all three levels of government.”
As for ways to help the non-profit sector provide housing for those in need both De Andrade and Lumley said the most recent council has laid a good foundation for this work. “Go the same direction as in the past but put the foot on the gas pedal…and remove some roadblocks,” was Lumley summation of what needs to be done to gain traction on affordable housing projects in the next term.
Croal agreed and said there is no simple answer to having the Town accept occupancy of units that don’t meet standards. “If we relax the building code and someone dies in a fire, it is the Town that is responsible for that death…when you send a building inspector into a building you can’t tell them not to see a potential hazard,” he stated.
Opinions on how to respect the views of neighbourhoods when the addition of supportive housing is proposed, was sought from councillor candidates. Soohen emphasized the importance of the public review process and the need for community collaboration at every opportunity.
Delaney said he felts the community was justified in the “push back” that it delivered in the consideration of the location of the School Road supportive housing project. In his view, with a population of less than 5,000 and 40 units of supportive housing, Gibsons has four times the level of supportive housing units per capita when compared to Lower Mainland communities.
MacLeod’s voiced a different view on the School Road project, stating it was an amazing accomplishment in a very short period of time and that it “is a haven for those who live there.”
Government transparency
On the issue of involving the community in decisions making, “The best way to move forward with this is through public engagement,” according to Thomson. He committed that if elected as mayor, he would be the point person to communicate with the community even in cases involving explaining why a particular decision cannot be implemented.
“First, I would open the door to everybody to join in,” Yeung said. He promoted the concept of having different neighbourhoods appoint representatives to work with Town Hall on projects and concerns and committed to having an “open door” policy as a mayor.
White said disengagement has been a serious problem for the Town for many years. He stated he has undergone training that aligns with the Town’s public participation toolkit, which he said he wants to see get more use. “We need to start integrating that into our regular decision making,” White stated. He also advocated for a practice of engaging with people where they are, be that in schools or in social media.
Stonehurst proposal
Soohen said he felt Stonehurst (the historic former home of the Coast's first resident doctor, located in lower Gibsons) “was too much of a jewel” to lose to improper redevelopment but that he favoured a full public process on any updates to the proposal, which council referred back to staff for further adjustments.
“A non-starter” was how council hopeful Delaney categorized the part of the plan involving the sale of public land to the private developer looking at creating a boutique inn and 26 unit condominium development at the Stonehurst location.
While not opposed to the sale of public land for housing, candidate Blake MacLeod said the look of current proposal doesn’t “fit” with the Town. “Proponents have to bring quality project to the Town, they have to be willing to give something and we (Council) have to be willing to work with them for community benefit.”
