3483 replies to this topic

[tjv]

^I would of been more willing to believe land value went up and building value stayed about the same.

If that was the case they would have immediately filed an appeal.  As a guess the increased assessment is about 100k+ in property taxes per year

[Citified.ca]

Families, inclusiveness and healthy communities are at the heart of Victoria-based ARYZE Development's recently launched Talk to ARYZE engagement effort. The informational and open dialogue platform hopes to break down housing barriers that are pushing younger generations of Victorians away from the neighbourhoods in which they grew up.
 
New community engagement platform tackles Victoria's 'generation squeeze' dilemma
https://victoria.cit...queeze-dilemma/
 
Victoria’s growing disconnect between real-estate development trends and the City’s ‘generation squeeze’ demographic is the backdrop to a new civic engagement portal that hopes to make a positive impact on the region’s housing accessibility and affordability challenges.
 
Talk to ARYZE, a website created by the partnership of Victoria-based ARYZE Developments and Purdey Group, is the first industry-backed local platform to formally supplant the efforts of grassroots pro-housing organizations through frank and open dialogue on the Capital’s land-use.
 
“Despite universal calls for solutions to Victoria’s real-estate affordability problem and a strong desire to expedite the construction of new housing, the underlying attitude among many of Victoria’s neighbourhood groups remains antagonistic towards infill development,” says Luke Mari, Director with Purdey Group.
 
“As developers, we are told that neighbourhoods want more affordability, housing diversity, transit options, parks, and local retail but at the same time, they want to remain the same as it relates to height, character, use, and density. This dichotomy eventually materializes into the very pressures pro-housing groups like Generation Squeeze and Cities for Everyone have identified as key obstacles to affordability among Victoria’s younger generations.” [Full article]

[tjv]

^now there is a catch 22.  Also the residents of this building probably want to continue to live in a wealthy area and pay cheap rent.

 

Would the residents of that building stay there if rental increases were limited by law?  What would they do if rents doubled next month, would they still love the area and want to see the building preserved?

[Mike K.]

Wealthy area is a bit of a misnomer, though.

The long time residents now living in $2 million homes are not necessarily wealthy, nor were they when they happened to have bought their homes for $75-$125k in the 1980’s and 90’s. Victoria’s neighbourhoods are working class neighbourhoods, and the folks now house rich within them are so by sheer luck and circumstance.

[tjv]

yes I agree with what saying in principle, although not sure you could get a house in Fairfield or Oak Bay for 125k even in the early 80s.  Generally speaking most homes in that area are well maintained, have been renoed, etc

[spanky123]

yes I agree with what saying in principle, although not sure you could get a house in Fairfield or Oak Bay for 125k even in the early 80s.  Generally speaking most homes in that area are well maintained, have been renoed, etc

 

Sure you could, and a nice one at that.

[spanky123]

Wealthy area is a bit of a misnomer, though.

The long time residents now living in $2 million homes are not necessarily wealthy, nor were they when they happened to have bought their homes for $75-$125k in the 1980’s and 90’s. Victoria’s neighbourhoods are working class neighbourhoods, and the folks now house rich within them are so by sheer luck and circumstance.

 

Even if you have a $2M home you have to live somewhere and that "elsewhere" has increased in price as well. Unless you are willing to move out of market, downsize significantly, or go into care then you won't ever see much of that money. Why should someone who has lived their lives in a community be forced out simply to make way for someone else?

[Mike K.]

Homes along the Dallas Road waterfront between Cook and Clover Point could be had for $75k in the 88/89.

[Jackerbie]

Even if you have a $2M home you have to live somewhere and that "elsewhere" has increased in price as well. Unless you are willing to move out of market, downsize significantly, or go into care then you won't ever see much of that money. Why should someone who has lived their lives in a community be forced out simply to make way for someone else?

 

And this is exactly why municipalities need to start allowing a variety of housing types in existing neighbourhoods, even forms that aren't "family friendly." We have tons of "family friendly" housing in every single neighbourhood. It's the alternatives that are lacking, and as long as there are no alternatives people shouldn't be forced to give up their home and their community. An Oak Bay resident may not want to downsize to a downtown condo, but a townhouse or duplex in their own community may be an attractive option.

[spanky123]

And this is exactly why municipalities need to start allowing a variety of housing types in existing neighbourhoods, even forms that aren't "family friendly." We have tons of "family friendly" housing in every single neighbourhood. It's the alternatives that are lacking, and as long as there are no alternatives people shouldn't be forced to give up their home and their community. An Oak Bay resident may not want to downsize to a downtown condo, but a townhouse or duplex in their own community may be an attractive option.

 

So which municipality has vacant land sitting around that can be used or are you suggesting that developers be allowed to buy a house in a quiet neighbourhood and pop in a condo or apartment building?

[tjv]

Sure you could, and a nice one at that.

 

Homes along the Dallas Road waterfront between Cook and Clover Point could be had for $75k in the 88/89.

Not so sure about that, but I guess so.  I just know what my parents paid for their house in Oak Bay in the early 80s when interest rates were 22% and then they started the renovations

 

Does anyone have listings from that period to show houses for 75k in 88/89?

 

Why should someone who has lived their lives in a community be forced out simply to make way for someone else?

Agreed, and if people want affordable homes around here they should consider Sooke, Mill Bay or Duncan or further up the island.  We already have daily transit from Sooke, Mill Bay and Duncan 

Edited by tjv, 17 May 2018 - 12:42 PM.

[Jackerbie]

So which municipality has vacant land sitting around that can be used or are you suggesting that developers be allowed to buy a house in a quiet neighbourhood and pop in a condo or apartment building?

 

I'm suggesting that there are more options than single-family home and condo. A duplex won't ruin a single-family neighbourhood. Two storey townhouses shouldn't be met with pitchforks and torches. A four storey building in a urban village centre isn't the end of the world.

 

You asked why someone should be forced out of their community to make room for others. I'm saying that there are very few attractive alternatives for someone who wants to both stay in their community and make room for others.

[PPPdev]

Jackerbie: what are the existing family friendly housing options in existing neighborhoods you speak of? Cheapest SFD in Gonzales is pretty much $1m. There are so few townhouses for sale in the City.

Spanky: “Why should someone who has lived their lives in a community be forced out simply to make way for someone else?”

Who is forcing a homeowner to sell? Developers buy property from willing seller who either list or sign a contract off market, nobody is being forced out. If anything, the lack of diverse housing is creating more displacement. What about the younger generation that was born in raised in a community but by fate wasn’t born in 1975 so they didn’t have the opportunity to buy a house in a neighbourhood before it shot up from $550k in 2010 to $1m that it is today. This is about zoning being used as a socio-economic barrier between people groups. Why should we protect a certain housing type in favor of somebody who was born in Victoria now having to move to Sooke or Mill Bay which creates its own set of ancillary issues.

Edited by PPPdev, 19 May 2018 - 08:48 PM.

[Jackerbie]

Jackerbie: what are the existing family friendly housing options in existing neighborhoods you speak of? Cheapest SFD in Gonzales is pretty much $1m. There are so few townhouses for sale in the City.

 

I'm referring to the form, not the cost or availability. One of the issues is that we have all of these single-family houses and not much else, so we end up with people living with more house than they want or need. As I said, downsizing to a downtown condo is not an attractive option for everyone, and there are very few options to age in place in the established SF hoods.

[tjv]

3 more large scale affordable housing projects will be starting in the next month or 2.  330 Goldstream, 731 Station and another address I have forgotten

[Nparker]

Someone's been reading my posts...

...Helps and Coun. Geoff Young have forwarded a motion to consider creating an underground parking area on the RAP lot at Caledonia Avenue and Vancouver Street to be shared by both facilities, and with affordable housing units on top...

https://www.vicnews....letic-park-lot/

 

[Nparker]

Check out this TC letter for a classic case of NIMBY-ism disguised as concern for affordable housing. It literally drips with hypocrisy.

[sdwright.vic]

Since the word luxury really doesn't mean much anymore.... I also call BS.

[rjag]

Check out this TC letter for a classic case of NIMBY-ism disguised as concern for affordable housing. It literally drips with hypocrisy.

 

They lost the argument when they indicated they live in the Rockland/Fairfield area....not exactly a hotbed of fixer-uppers and not exactly classified as entry level or affordable for at least the last 30 years. 

 

We bought a house on Bushby St in 1993 and the only reason we could 'afford' it was it was a bank repo and there were a bunch of unfinished renos...

 

And seriously what the author claims to be affordable would be 30% of average income  which would mean housing in the $300k -$450k range....For Rockland??? thats funny!!!

[Nparker]

They lost the argument when they indicated they live in the Rockland/Fairfield area....

My thoughts exactly.

I presume the author of the letter was one of those "concerned Fairfield residents" who rallied against the Bellewood Park project. I have to wonder if these same folks would have whole-heartedly endorsed a shipping container style, low-cost housing project on the same site? That would certainly not have been "luxury".