Editor,
Re: Planning department proposes affordable housing levy, News, May 8
One does not have to look to far afield to see what other communities are doing in regards to affordable housing. The City of Victoria a few years back put $250,000 in the pot. They advertised that they would pay $5,000 to individuals who would build a legal approved suite. At the end of the year, 50 legal suites were built and multimillion dollars were added to the tax base. The City of Revelstoke was given $250,000 from BC Hydro to go to affordable housing. They built one duplex and added an admitted $350,000 to the project. To my knowledge there is no increase to the tax base.
Who did it right? They now want to add another surcharge to the already cumbersome bloated process! It’s time to start buying one-way bus tickets for this department and council and we would save millions.
Bob Melnyk,
Revelstoke
