Most of us are lucky to have a place to call home. Whether it is a rental arrangement or a purchase, it is a necessity to have a place of refuge from the elements and the outside world.
The County of Wellington has begun the process of securing arrangements for a 55-unit apartment proposal in the north end of Fergus. Details of the county’s interaction at a public meeting in Centre Wellington are outlined in an article published on the front page of this week’s Advertiser. The location and its geographic merits will have to stand on its own, but we know for sure a need exists for many people living on nominal wages. The fact that the proposal will be geared to tenants with mobility issues makes this concept more special, and deserving of consideration.
From time to time, people get talking about wages and the cost of living. Most people have recognized the increase in costs for gas, groceries, and most everything else. Inevitably, when speaking about lower income earners, the phrase comes up about how “they” live on those wages. There are many answers to that question, including, “Not high on the hog.”
Sometimes relationships develop that otherwise would not, forcing a partnership of sorts, just to afford accommodation, food, and utilities. Other times, people live hand to mouth, often falling behind, needing to use pay-day loan services and ruining a valuable credit rating – just trying to get by.
We have heard it claimed the government has no business in housing. Examples abound of corrupt developments, run-down developments, and claims that much of the tough luck facing the working poor is self-inflicted. We would like to believe the population at large thinks a little more clearly on the issue and recognizes that housing is a key-stone to a healthy population.
Further to government’s efforts to provide housing that would not be built ordinarily by a developer, is the need to enable developers to build projects in between special needs cases and general housing. Our personal view for going on two decades is that everyone would be better served if downtown areas were rejuvenated to include multiple stories, rather than taking up valuable core space with single storey structures. The rub has always been parking, but with all that is going on in the world, do we really think space for a car trumps the need for affordable rental accommodations?
The North American fascination with excessive homes is losing its luster for a number of reasons. As indicated already, costs to run a household are going up exponentially. We see nothing to indicate that trend will subside anytime in the future. People who choose for economic reasons, or as a matter of environmental conscience, to opt out of driving, should have the option of living in a flat that does not have an inflated price tag for the sake of parking. Detractors of that thinking will point to the next pending tenant as reasons to hold firm on parking regulations. Life is full of what-ifs, but our money is placed squarely on the notion that lifestyle choices will become more clear-cut in the future.
We applaud the county’s attempt with this affordable housing exercise and hope that such projects continue to be proposed. We hope, too, that developers will be better enabled to present really neat proposals that will address the need for affordable housing right across Wellington County.
