Submission to the 10K Giveaway!

From

The Bowen Community Housing Association

(BCHA)

The Bowen Community Housing Association, a not-for-profit, volunteer group of concerned citizens, was formed to address the affordable housing problem on Bowen Island to: “Foster and facilitate the maintenance of an economically and socially diverse community through the creation of affordable, accessible and attainable housing for all.”

The lack of affordable housing on Bowen Island has been well researched and documented.  Our ‘Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy’ identifies the scope of the problem. Every Bowen Island study over the past 15 years has highlighted this need. During the current OCP Update, affordable housing has been consistently recognized as the primary issue to address.

The social fabric of our community and the health and well being of families and individuals is jeopardized by this lack of affordable housing. If a family (or individual) is spending too much on housing (anything over one third of their income is considered unhealthy) then not enough is being spent on food, clothing, medical care and education.  Many of the low income earners on Bowen are in the service sector. Without affordable housing these services will either disappear or the workers will be forced to commute. We need affordable housing to ensure a diverse population.

BCHA has been very successful in addressing many of these issues:

• • The ‘Housing Needs Assessment & Strategy’ was initiated by the BCHA and funded by BCHA members & the public
  • We have established a ‘Neighbours Housing Neighbours’ fund to assist those who need emergency or temporary housing that they could not otherwise afford
  • The BCHA was instrumental and successful in lobbying for legalizing ‘Secondary Suites’ in order to provide more affordable rental housing
  • We successfully petitioned the Bowen Island Municipality to create policy that would require all new subdivisions or re-zonings to provide at least 15 % of the units as affordable housing that would remain affordable in perpetuity.

We are now planning a 20 unit housing community for those who are most in need, modeled after projects already completed and funded by ‘BC Housing’.  Our Mayor has indicated that land, within the Community Lands, will be made available for affordable housing.  Should the Bowen Community Housing Association be successful in securing the “10K GIVEAWAY”, offered by First Credit Union, the formal project planning will begin immediately.  This will ensure that the BCHA’s twenty unit housing proposal is complete when the Municipality makes the Community Lands available.

We thank-you for this opportunity and truly appreciate the support the First Credit Union gives to our community.

Sincerely;

Robin Burger, Chair

Bowen Community Housing Association