To put it lightly, it is absolutely a challenge to find housing and it’s understandable why it is being considered a crisis. I recognize that this might not even accurately represent the reality of a lot of people; for some, it may be an impossible hurdle forcing wonderful people to leave Nelson. This is definitely sad and not a situation I (or likely anyone else) want to see happening.
However, I find myself somewhat disturbed to see a multitude of commentary that essentially states people not from Nelson are taking all of the available housing and this is bad.
The notion that people who are “out of towners” are not equally entitled to housing is similar to (if not exactly the same as) the line that immigrants are taking all of the jobs.
Like I mentioned, I understand that the current housing situation is frustrating at best, yet I would like to suggest that we take a step back and re-examine what we are saying and what it means. Solving issues often happens when dialogue is respectful and inclusive. It would be wonderful to see the West Kootenay community solve this issue, and I worry that Facebook posts filled with divisive language will only seed anger and put money in the pockets of Mr. Zuckerberg (a true “out of towner”).
Y. Ishikawa
Nelson
