The New Westminster housing dilemma > How will the city balance affordability with growth? —_— Mercedes Deutscher News Editor t seems that the City of New Westminster has wasted no time in passing projects to aid those struggling to afford housing. New Westminster can also expect to see a surge in property purchases as prospective homeowners are pushed out of Vancouver and into its surrounding municipalities. The city is seeking to open a rent bank and a six-unit affordable housing project in the near future, as sponsored by city council and MLA Judy Darcy. These projects will undoubtedly benefit those earning little income and those at risk of homelessness. However, as real estate becomes more desirable projects like these may be cast aside in the future in lieu of fostering a competitive housing market. New Westminster’s rent bank started when several people visited Darcy’s constituency office in search of a temporary financial solution. “So many people are living paycheque to paycheque. If some crisis strikes, and you are living paycheque to paycheque, then where do you go to pay your next month’s rent? That, we are hearing of more and more. It could be they are waiting for a cheque that they know is going to come,” Darcy said to the New Westminster Record. The rent bank will work similar to a loan. However, unlike payday loans, it will offer a low rate of interest. Rent banks in Ontario have achieved a level of success in alleviating a homeless crisis there, and in BC rent banks are currently available in Vancouver, Surrey, and Kamloops. “Sometimes we get in the habit of focusing too much on the issue of homelessness after it has happened, and not focus enough attention on programs that actually work to prevent homelessness,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote to the New Westminster Record. Another way New Westminster appears to be battling homelessness is by creating an affordable housing project. The project, which will be developed by The Community Living Society, was recently passed through city hall and will be built north of the Patullo Bridge. The predicted site is currently an un-zoned road allowance, but should be easy to rezone. Three of its six units will house people with developmental disabilities, while the remaining three units will be given to low income families. While these progressive housing resources are under development, so is New Westminster real estate. The Real Estate Investment Network released a report that stated, “Revitalization, lifestyle, affordability—all are lining up to attract young families Social Innovation Seed Fund recipients showcase projects > Embark and SFU Sustainability collaborate to celebrate eight student entrepreneurial projects Preethi Bokka The Peak Getainaility was a shared concern among many young participants on a Wednesday evening at City Studio, Vancouver, as Embark and SFU Sustainability hosted collaborative event. The Project Showcase event unfolded as an interactive, engaging space that celebrated grant recipients of the Social Innovation Seed Fund—a joint effort between Embark and Radius SFU to encourage entrepreneurial individuals catalyzing social and environmental impact. Each peer educator from SFU Sustainability was asked to interview one recipient about their project. Eight student projects were showcased, such as City Hive, Bright Ideas, As We Are, Soap for Hope, and others. The entire room buzzed with laughter, inquiry, and storytelling as each recipient unveiled their journey with the project. Ali White, programs manager at Embark, said, “We wanted to bring students together to inspire and learn from each other in an informal atmosphere. All the projects are unique and diverse, which gives ample space to connect and network amongst each other.” The principles of sustainability meant different things for each project. Tessica Truong showcased City Hive, a youth-driven organization that was piloted in 2016. “We are on a mission to transform the way young people are engaged in [the] planning, designing, and shaping of their cities. We bridge gaps between big organizations and institutions facing sustainable issues and students who have passion, energy, and time,” explained Truong. “We train young students of different ages to feel competent and confident about their capabilities, while helping organizations build programs that are robust and meaningful where these students can gather invaluable experience,” she said. City Hive has initiated a project called 30Network, which addresses housing and affordability within Vancouver, while the cohort of 30 is challenged to look for creative solutions. Calling for a human-centred perspective, Truong explained that City Hive enables a platform to upscale solutions collectively. Another project, Bright Ideas, played with similar structure. Cody de Leijer, external manager at the program, explained, “Bright Ideas is one of our eight programs at Enactus SFU, and we essentially fund a $100 microloan to high school students who are paired with a university mentor, and encourage them to take up ventures to affect economic, social change.” “We simply wanted to give a platform to high school students to play with the models of a business venture with many of them turning over 50 per cent profits. Sustainability to us means that we are able to use the impact of our youth and show to them that they need to adapt to our constantly changing world,” he said. Woven Together is one such project where students partnered with Funk’N Frost in Guildford Town Centre to sell equality bracelets for women, and 25 per cent of the proceeds are donated toa charity. The initiative, de Leijer said, and at the same time, we're starting to see companies move into the area and bringing those younger jobs.” New Westminster is seemingly the centre of the Lower Mainland, with easy access to Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, and other municipalities. As plans for a new Patullo Bridge loom on the horizon, it will likely become less congested and thus even more desirable. “New Westminster seems to be located in the exact right spot and it’s north of the Fraser River, so no bridges [on the commute]. And it’s the 13th most expensive of the 15 areas in Metro Vancouver,” said Don Campbell of the Real Estate Investment Network, to News 1130. The City of New Westminster has yet to release a response about the report, but if it holds true, it will become clear whether or not the city will continue its trend towards creating housing plans and projects. musters support for violence against women—all accomplished within just three weeks by high school students. Community impact was a major value upheld across all of the projects and the work they do. Another such organization was Soap for Hope, a non-profit enterprise that upcycles used bar soaps from hotels into liquid, reusable soap. From commodity-based to community-based sustainability, the project partners with Mission Possible and Hope for Freedom to provide transitional work opportunities for people overcoming addiction. A warmth engulfed the Project Showcase event with five other projects, all of which were rich in their stories and trajectories. Terri Rutty, engagement coordinator at SFU Sustainability, remarked, “It’s truly about nurturing the small ideas and projects. I think we often get caught up in large projects and events, but forget to celebrate small changes. This is what we have successfully achieved here.” All these projects aim to be impactful and far-reaching in their sustainability approach.