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[dasmo]

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Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s ironic because the army of useful idiots championing this under the banner of affordable housing are the ones that get screwed by this. This replace affordable basement suites and old apartment blocks with brand new unaffordable apartments. None for sale, all for rent.


You will own nothing and be happy.

[Victoria Watcher]

Two Esquimalt councillors are asking the township to consider bringing in a standardized development fee for new buildings — a practice that is already commonplace across much of the capital region.

Councillors Duncan Cavens and Jacob Heliwell say a formal discussion is needed as the township faces an infrastructure deficit that will require tens of millions of dollars to fix, and development cost charges can help pay for new infrastructure and amenities that would otherwise be funded by property taxes.

Depending on how they’re set up, development cost charges can be used by a municipality to pay for costs associated with roads, sewer and water infrastructure, parks and emergency services.

Cavens said the debate about development cost charges in Esquimalt dates back for more than a decade but it has not been officially discussed at council in recent years.

It came up, however, in a recent township byelection. Unsuccessful candidate Holly Courtright, who came in 108 votes behind Coun. Megan Brame, campaigned on a platform that included bringing in standardized development fees in Esquimalt.

During the recent federal election campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney made cutting development cost charges in half to facilitate development part of the Liberal platform.

Cavens said Carney reiterated that commitment in a speech at a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ottawa this month.

Development cost charges in larger cities such as Vancouver and Toronto can cost up to $80,000 a unit, he said.

At the conference, Carney said the federal government is working toward a way to fund the budget shortfall that municipalities would face if development cost charges are halved, Cavens said.

The Esquimalt councillor said he’s worried the township will be left behind if the township doesn’t have a development fee by the time the federal program is rolled out. “Fifty per cent of zero is zero, so we are going to be foregoing significant funding from the federal government if we’re not playing the same game as everyone else.”



https://www.timescol...illors-10807790

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 June 2025 - 05:04 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Quick! Let’s make housing affordable!