New Westminster heritage homes at risk

» Advocates fighting against demolition of homes near Queens Park
: Arvanitidis, the society, and :

: others that they all collaborate

to create a committee

: with the specific goal of

: opposing the developers.

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca

M aureen Arvanitidis is
on a mission to save
New Westminster’s heritage
homes, along with The
New Westminster Heritage
Preservation Society, where
Arvanitidis sits as president.
Arvanitidis and her society
have been raising awareness in
the Queens Park community for
the last year-and-a-half about
the increasing risks of developers
moving into the neighbourhood
at expense of the heritage homes.
“The feedback that we have
received from the community is,
we want [the heritage] retained,
we don’t want new ugly buildings,

on other heritage properties,”
said Arvanitidis to CBC.

While the New Westminster
Heritage Preservation Society
has been working hard for the
cause, several New Westminster
residents have gone to speak
to the city individually.

The city suggested to

The city hosted an event

: called “Speak up about Heritage”
: on November 21 and invited :
: residents out to discuss strategies :
: to best take care of the heritage

: homes. According to the New

: Westminster Record, those

: advocating for preservation

: contributed several strategies.

: One was to create a clear

: definition of neighbourhood

: character. The second strategy is
: creating a list of initiatives, both
: financial and non-financial, to

: encourage keeping the buildings,
: even if this involves some form

: of renovation or restoration. The
particularly if they’re encroaching ; third method is creating local .

: regulations and policies that will
: work against those wishing to

: demolish heritage buildings. The
: last method involves spreading

: more information about these

: homes so that more residents

: are aware of their importance.

Julie Schueck, who works in

the city as the Heritage Planner,

: brings attention to already

: existing measures that could be
: used to protect the homes, New
: Westminster’s Formal Heritage
: Protection lists four ways that a
: heritage site may be preserved:

: through heritage designation, a
: heritage revitalization agreement, :
: a heritage conservation area, ora :
: heritage conservation covenant.

: Those who wish to heavily

: renovate or demolish homes that :
: fall under these agreements will
: have to appeal to the Community :
: Heritage Commission :

: and the City Council.
: responses from our consultation
: able to put these principles

: and strategies and actions in
: front of council next month,”

   

Es ek “Pe a

ee

Image via thinkstock

: Schueck said to CBC, regarding

: taking the feedback received

at Speak up about Heritage

: to those in the city council.

: In addition to preventing the
: demolition of existing heritage

: homes, those fighting to keep

: heritage also hope that new

: developers will consider the

: neighbourhood landscape when
: developing in New Westminster.

“If we get enough favourable

... then we would like to be

 

Rent income distribution levels
found to be high 1n new study

» Coquitlam area particularly unaffordable for low-income families

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

recent study released by
he BC Non-Profit Housing

Association states the increasing
difficulty of affordable rent in the
Fraser Valley and Coquitlam.

Although rent for Metro
Vancouver is notoriously high all
around the region, affordability
for family units is particularly
difficult. Tony Roy, CEO of the
association, claimed that the
study, compiled from updated
information from the 20u1 status,
was the most comprehensive
data gathered about rental
housing in the province to date.

Housing affordability is
classified as 30 per cent or less
of a renter’s income. The data
suggests that three-quarters
of all single mothers in the
Coquitlam area spend more than
30 per cent, with a full 47 per cent
spending more than half of their
income. The average cost of a
two-bedroom suite in Coquitlam
is $1,160, compared to $861 in
Abbotsford, and $994 in Surrey.

A full-time minimum wage
job in BC pays $1,680 a month.

house in Coquitlam—the space
large enough for a two-person
family unit—leaves the earner

”

   

: with just $520 to cover food,
: utilities, transit, and other
> necessities for the month.

The high prices are most

: likely to affect low-income

: residents, in addition to single

: mothers, seniors, youth, and

: Aboriginal people oftentimes fall
: into the housing unaffordability
: bracket. The study also revealed
: that nearly half of all renters

: in BC spend more than 30 per

: cent of income on housing—

: witha full 24 per cent spending
: over half of their incomes.

Reasons for the

: unaffordability in the area

: : includea lack of new housing
Paying the rent on a two-bedroom : and government subsidization,
: driving up the value of existing
: rental units. Another factor is

: the high turnover rate for both

¥

Image via thinkstock

: tenants and landlords, leading

: to lack of rent control, which

: often results in new landlords

: charging higher prices to new

: tenants. In particular, Coquitlam
: has had several housing units

: destroyed to clear way for rapid

: transit projects, explaining its

: specific highlight in the study.

In a statement to the Globe

: and Mail, Roy explained: “Our

: figures are gross incomes, so if

: you are spending 30 per cent to

: 40 per cent on taxes and another
: 50 per cent on rent it doesn’t

: leave much to do anything in the
: economy. All you can do is keep

: aroof over your head and then

: visit the food bank a few times a
: month to try and make it through.
: And that’s what’s happening.”

 

 

EXTRA!
EXTRA!

The Other Press Publication Society
is having their Annual General
Meeting. We will be voting in a new
Board of Directors, and going over
the last year of the OP. Come for
the meeting, stay for the free
pizza.

 

Who: The Other Press and you!
What: Our Annual General Meeting
When: Monday December 7th at 5:00

p.m.
Where: New Westminster Campus, Room
1606
Why: To review the past year, make
any changes to our Consitution, and
vote in our new Board of Directors.
Also, Pizza!

If you have any questions, please
email editor@theotherpress.ca