Currently, two high rises are being built on Duncan Avenue and plans are afoot to do the same at 175 Kinney Ave.
The current plan is for some of these units to be “high-end rentals” and are only guaranteed to be rentals for 10 years. Who knows what will happen after the 10-year mark. These units will most likely be sold off as condominiums, putting us right back to square one as far as a lack of affordable housing goes.
A more practical plan, I think, would be to follow some of the larger cities by building complexes that house “mini apartments.” These units are anywhere from about 400 square feet to about 600 square feet. Some of these units have walls that slide on tracks to reconfigure your apartment for an extra sleeping area to accommodate an overnight guest. They could rent for between about $500 and $700 per month, making it affordable to young people on a budget as well as seniors who are on a fixed income. Make it permanent, not temporary. Penticton needs permanent affordable housing.
It is obvious that the higher echelon at city hall have no idea, have simply forgotten, or just don’t care what it is like to struggle financially from day to day.
The City of Penticton should spend a little more time attending to the needs of the residents rather than sucking up to developers’ wants at every opportunity.
The disappointment I see in the faces of the residents on a daily basis is pretty difficult to ignore. This mayor and council have succeeded in accomplishing nothing more than evoking the ire of its citizenry.
This is known in the working world as “shooting oneself in the foot.”
All I can say is hopefully 2017 will bring some positive changes.
Mark Billesberger
Penticton
