Dear Editor:
We are in a housing crisis that no individual, no municipality, no government can cure on their own. We need an answer that we all contribute to. Here is my proposal.
Municipalities can ask developers for up to 5% of the land that is the subject of a development proposal for recreational purposes. Many just ask for the money. We need the province to enlarge the program to allow it to include residential development by the municipality.
On 100 acres of development this is five acres. For the housing we need to go back to the period during and after the Second World War, wartime or Victory, housing. These were simple rectangular homes 30 feet by 25 feet, a storey and a half, creating about 1,200 square feet of livable space. Houses need to be constructed of simple, durable, easy-to-install materials. No flash, no splash, just utilitarian. No garage, unfinished basement. One bathroom, up to 3 bedrooms.
The plans already exist. If it cost $200/sq.ft., $250,000 would do it, with the municipality contributing the land. Each lot would be one tenth of an acre, so you could build 50 homes on the five acres of every 100 that was being developed. No need for expensive studies, just do it. It worked for my parents, it should work for my children.
The alternative is a generation without hope, without a stake in society, and that leads to chaos. If someone wants to do a pilot project, I volunteer my company’s surveying services. Maybe others can help too.
Rod Finnie,
Erin