— from Ginna Magee —
As someone who spends about 70% of my limited income on rent and utilities, I am writing in support of the Yes for Homes referendum that will be on the ballot in November.
There are too many people that live and work on this island that don’t have housing stability due to the shortage of affordable year-round rentals or homes for sale priced within reach of low to middle income buyers. They have to move frequently as the rental/housing market shifts with the seasons, landlords selling, conversion to vacation rentals, etc.
They work hard to serve the community, their kids go to the schools here, and their jobs are an essential part of support for the tourist industry, the rapidly growing elder population, the maintenance of off-islanders’ second homes, and the infrastructure that makes this island function.
Affordable housing is an important foundation for a successful island balance of workers-who-help and people-who-need-help.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
Years ago, SJC voters led WA State w/ its adoption of a REET to support the creation of our Land Bank, a vehicle to preserve habitat for critters and endangered species.
Now’s the time to do the same for the endangered-blue-collar-worker, a vital component of our local ecosystem and essential to maintain a vibrant, thriving, community.
Ginna. You’re right with all of your points.
Fred- You’re right, too, but remember that the existing Ecological REET was passed to protect the natural habitat from an ever-encroaching human footprint.
Aside from some counter-intuitive arguments that have been made regarding taxing “buyers” to engender “affordability,” these two REETS would otherwise contradict each other unless we connect the dots and mitigate.
Considerations:
1 Talk about the taboo subject of humans taking responsibility for their own population growth (taboo) and misguided development:
and
2. Proceed with “low-impact” affordable housing options that will help people like Ginna but also include ecological mitigation (as Janet Alderton recently suggested).
Affordable housing will be the least of our concerns if we ignore the consequences of over population and development that literally degrades the island’s bio-diversity, potable water, and that causes erosion and kills aquatic wildlife.
For starters, we should never have conversations about housing without discussing affects on our natural habitat.
We’ve become a society too heavily focused on “Entitlements and Benefits.” That’s self-destructive if we don’t add in the corresponding “Responsibilities amd Obligations.”
That’s Balance but more importantly it’s Survival 101 based on Reason and Logic.
Where are the island’s scientists? We need hard science more than we need political correctness. I fear scientists are more and more compromised by politics as evidenced by an apparemt absence of reason and logic in comments I’ve read. You be the judge when you read comments that don’t comport with logic and reason…or when they simply stay silent perhaps for the sake of comfort and success in a small island community. We need to be a bit more fearless and less afraid to be politically stigmatized.
Having said the above, we also need afforable homes for the vibrant lower to middle income working class who literally put the “humanity” in our human family.
So, YES, to affordable housing with the above caveats—that is, stop decoupling benefits from responsibilities.