3855 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

I don't get your point. Real estate values have always been location driven.

 

Case in point: Buy in Sooke, you have Mike K. as a neighbour. 

[Mike K.]

For free!

[Victoria Watcher]

Non-profits are racing to save affordable apartments. But critics say we should just build new ones

B.C. earmarked $500M so not-for-profits could buy rental units and keep them affordable


https://www.cbc.ca/n...grams-1.7553820

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 August 2025 - 10:05 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

March, 2025:

 

 

The records show that 2,398 CMHC employees — 91% of its workforce — received bonuses last year, averaging $12,865 each. Meanwhile, 12 CMHC executives collected a total of $1 million in bonuses, with an average payout of $83,859.

 

In addition to the bonuses, the CMHC issued 2,190 pay raises in 2024, costing taxpayers $9.3 million. No employees received pay cuts, according to the records.

 

 

https://www.westerns...ng-crisis/63296

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 25 September 2025 - 04:09 AM.

[lanforod]

I've never really been a fan of public servants in crown crops getting bonuses. Normal public servants don't get them, why should the crown corp ones? The wages and benefits are already excellent.

[Tony]

An obviously opinionated article throwing out numbers.

 

For example if your contract has an annual salarary increase then you would expect 100% of members to get a pay increase. How many situations occur where basic pay is reduced..... very rare.

 

Any bonus should be based on clear measurable expectaions that are key to meeting the goals of an organization. The bar should be high but reachable by  outstanding rmeasurable esults.

[lanforod]

The article does state that less than 50% of performance targets were met...

[Sparky]

The next time you hear or read that your local, provincial or federal governments are providing affordable housing…..think “Human Storage Container”.

I liked it better when the housing that was built was what people wanted… not what some socialist politician thinks they deserve.

There….I said it.

[Victoria Watcher]

TUESDAY, April 28, 1981, Letters to the Editor:

"... It doesn't seem to me that there's any housing or apartment shortage. Every morning when I open my newspaper there are at least two pages of houses for sale, two whole columns of apartment for rent. The trouble is that they are unaffordable to most people..."

42 years ago people thought two pages of house for sale and two whole columns of apartments for rent is alot, and the main problem is that they are unaffordable to most people LOL.

Here's another even older gem

October 26, 1974, almost 50 years old now

"Tenants argue rents are already too high and they are probably right. But everything costs too much in these days of spiraling inflation and landlord should not be singled out for price controls and asked to subsidize their tenants' cost of living.

The government would be better advised to find some way to protect tenants who cannot afford high rents. The meaningless $30 renters' grant might be scrapped for example and replaced with a more substantial subsidy for low income earners"

People literally complain about the exact same thing half a century ago.

 

 

https://www.reddit.c...2010_have_been/

[Tony]

What most people want in housing has for a long time been more than what most people can afford. That includes me 60 years ago. I went to the first rung on the ladder that I could afford.

[aastra]

The housing drama was already set in stone years prior to 1981. Recurring dialogue, recurring characters, recurring premises, recurring plot twists, etc.

[aastra]

 

I went to the first rung on the ladder that I could afford.

 

Sure, but even so, it still seems exorbitant to be paying a lot of money to live on the rung of a ladder. I like to stretch out sometimes. 

 

Anyway, the folks who are still living on stepstools don't appreciate it when the ladder crowd tries to rub their faces in it.

[phx]

What most people want in housing has for a long time been more than what most people can afford. 

Yet most of the population own. 66% in fact.

[Citified.ca]

CRD’s Capital Region Housing Corp. to build 5,000 affordable housing units by 2045

https://victoria.cit...-units-by-2045/

[Mike K.]

The Province has announced the following three affordable rental projects are moving forward:

 

Forest Heights on Quadra in CoV, Greater Victoria Housing Society: https://victoria.cit...forest-heights/

Village on the Green in CoV, CRHC: https://victoria.cit...e-on-the-green/

Campus View in Saanich, CRHC: https://victoria.cit...ls/campus-view/

 

Completion in 2028.

 

Provincial release:

 

Workers and families will have more housing options as construction gets underway on 319 new homes across three projects in Saanich and Victoria.

 

“It is vital that people who keep our communities strong have homes that meet their needs, so they can continue providing the services we all rely on,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These redevelopments will give residents in Greater Victoria more housing choices, helping them stay close to their loved ones and jobs. By working in partnership, we’re delivering these homes as quickly as possible and building a stronger, more connected community.”

 

The Province, through BC Builds at BC Housing, is providing $117 million, including approximately $36 million in grants and more than $81 million in repayable low-interest construction financing, for the projects that will support people earning middle incomes.

 

The three housing redevelopments will help boost the supply of purpose-built rentals in the community. Under the program, each of the developments includes a number of below-market rental units. The projects include:

 

Campus View, 2249 McCoy Rd., Saanich:

119 rental apartments. The redevelopment will replace 12 aging townhomes, providing 107 net-new homes. The building will be owned and operated by Capital Region Housing Corporation. Twenty per cent of the homes are expected to be rented at the shelter rate for people with very low incomes.

 

Village on the Green, 1132 and 1138 Johnson St., Victoria:

This 160-unit redevelopment will replace a 38-unit building, providing 122 net-new homes. The building will be owned and operated by Capital Region Housing Corporation. Twenty per cent of the homes are expected to be rented at the shelter rate for people with very low incomes.

 

Forest Heights, 2558 Quadra St., Victoria:

This 40-unit redevelopment will replace an aging 18-unit building, providing 21 net-new homes with a commercial space at the ground level. It will be owned and operated by Greater Victoria Housing Society and, through a memorandum of understanding with Destination Greater Victoria, will prioritize tourism and hospitality workers.

All of the homes are expected to open in 2028. BC Builds developments will have a minimum of 20% of homes with rents at least 20% below-market rate. Exceeding this target under the BC Builds program, the homes supported by the Capital Region Housing Corporation will have 20% of homes at shelter rates at $445 for people with very low incomes.

 

BC Builds is part of B.C.’s $19-billion housing investment. Since it launched, more than 3,900 homes are underway, bringing more housing options to people with middle incomes throughout the province.   

[Victoria Watcher]

Saanich looks at ways to boost construction of non-market housing

One option is exploring building non-market and supportive housing on surplus or under-utilized district land.



https://www.timescol...ousing-11600264




OK, that’s the subheadline. But then the article does not mention it again.

I remember a decade or more ago when sine housing provider or another was looking for spare property to plop down some project, Saanich said they had nothing.

Do they suddenly have some “surplus or under-utilized land”.? The article never addresses this.

Isn’t the UVic fire hall soon to be booted? Seems they might themselves be looking for land.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 December 2025 - 05:45 AM.