Dear Editor:
In response to the July 29 Acorn rally across from the Met 2 housing development site, Burnaby Citizens’ Association Coun. Nick Volkow essentially says “it’s not our job” to provide affordable housing for Burnaby renters.
True enough – neither the Harper Federal government, nor the Clark provincial government seems interested in taking the lead on building affordable housing for lower and moderate income renters in Burnaby.
However, this doesn’t mean that Mr. Volkow and his fellow BCA council members are helpless to do anything to help renters. The BCA council has doled out tens of millions of dollars worth of development permits in recent years.
There must have been some community development money attached to these tremendously lucrative economic opportunities that have been provided to the developers.
In researching to write this letter, I found that the Burnaby Citizens Association city council is considered to be left-leaning. If this in fact true, then it certainly would be encouraging to find out that the BCA may have just temporarily lost its bearings, and is not hellbent on gentrifying Burnaby, even though it looks that way now.
Our neigbouring municipalities have the same provincial and federal governments to deal with as does Burnaby council. But Vancouver has recognized its housing needs and is going forward with the Downtown Eastside Enhancement Plan. And currently, Coquitlam council is working on a housing affordability strategy.
In the run-up to the election this fall, there will be all-candidates meetings where voters can ask questions of those who are running for office.
One question that could be asked: Why is there no Standard of Maintenance legislation to protect Burnaby renters, even after our seemingly progressive city government has been in power 20-plus years?
And perhaps Mr. Volkow and his fellow council members would do well to remember the old political adage, that local government is important because it is the closest level of government to the ordinary person. All the citizens of that locality have the right to be served by that government, not just the people who build luxury condos and those who can afford to purchase them.
Rick Erb, Burnaby
