Dear Editor:
We see year after year, with the continued development in Burnaby, the decline in affordable housing for low-income families.
Homelessness continues to be an issue in Burnaby that seems to have no long-term solution. We have heard many reasons why governments, on many levels, do not seem to be able to fund programs to get these vulnerable people into proper housing. There are groups that are helping the homeless in Burnaby, but they are underfunded to meet the needs of their clients.
I have lived in Burnaby for more than 30 years and have to say I would live nowhere else. Burnaby is a most progressive and well-run city (professed by those that study these facts), and I am appreciative of this.
An idea that crossed my mind while pondering this dilemma of homelessness in Burnaby was how about a Burnaby citizens (not the city political party) solution where all of Burnaby's 228,000-plus citizens had a stake in Burnaby's present homeless issue.
My proposal to the citizens of Burnaby would be that we each donate $1 a month, $12 a year, to go towards acquiring transitional and permanent, affordable housing for those that are without housing in Burnaby.
Can you imagine the impact your $12 a year times 228,000-plus residents would make towards addressing homelessness in Burnaby. $228,000 a month or $2,736,000 a year. Some would say this idea is some utopian dream, but I say for the sake of $12 a year, what's the harm of dreaming?
Jim A. McQueen, Burnaby
