A SQUAMISH YOU CAN AFFORD

Squamish has grown enormously over the last decade, and we're still feeling the growing pains. There are many reasons for the growth: our incredible natural environment, our healthy outdoor lifestyle, and our proximity to Vancouver. Not all of it is in our control. If so many of us want to live here despite the challenges, it's no surprise that others do too.

But local government is responsible for delivering services and infrastructure that meet the town's needs, and many of our growing pains are worse because we've fallen far behind.

So we need to slow down and catch up before any significant growth. We need to shift from approving new housing developments just to hit provincial housing numbers and start investing in infrastructure and amenities for the people who live here now, while protecting our natural environment.

The biggest issues people have raised with me are parking, access to downtown, recreation facilities (including Brennan Park), and access to health and social care, especially for seniors. Local government resources should go toward these issues before we have a conversation about more significant growth. We should be approving developments that directly help to meet stated community priorities. Funds and contributions made from these developments must directly improve the quality of life for Squamish residents.

I'm a youth worker by trade. I got involved in the housing sector 10 years ago, when I became Co-Executive Director at Zero Ceiling, a youth housing program in Whistler. In that role, I've grown our supportive housing for young adults, along with our recreation and employment programs.

Around the same time, I built the Heart House with my brother. It was our solution to our own family's housing crisis, and it still houses both of our families today.

Together, these experiences made me want to deliver affordable housing on a larger scale. I was a director of Whistler Valley Housing Society while it planned a new social housing building in Whistler. For the past few years, I've volunteered alongside my brother and other collaborators to build DWIFT Housing Society.

DWIFT is a non-profit that is working deliver affordable ownership homes in Squamish. We build well-designed, efficient houses in partnership with local contractors and sell them at cost to local residents. Unlike private developers, we take no profit beyond what it costs to operate, and we pass the savings directly on to residents. DWIFT is currently purchasing land for our first affordable housing community.

Some people have asked if I'm a private housing developer. I'm not. Aside from my own home, I've never been part of a private housing development or sold property for profit. I want other families to have what I have: an affordable home in Squamish where I can raise my daughter and be supported by the community.

For the last seven years, Squamish has tried to address housing affordability from the supply side. Led by provincial policy, the District has worked to deliver as many units as possible, believing this would bring prices down. But since 2019, house prices have skyrocketed while many locals feel no closer to owning a home. Even as growth slows this year, the "new normal" for Squamish house prices is far out of reach for most families.

That approach has made a false promise, and we need to change course. The provincial government has also pulled back significantly on funding for housing development. We need a new approach that works more strategically with private developers to deliver what our town actually needs. That means:

• Pausing approval of new development unless it meaningfully improves quality of life and affordability

• Increase the proportion of affordable units that developers must provide to the DOS. 

• Speeding up approvals and permitting for developments that deliver  these benefits to residents

• Updating the Squamish Housing Action Plan to hold us accountable to affordability targets, not just unit numbers to ensure we are delivering affordability

• Ensure all new developments contribute community amenity contributions that benefit all Squamish residents. 

• Bring resident-restricted, affordable home-ownership to Squamish, similar to the WHA model in Whistler

• Leverage federal government housing financing to deliver innovative housing solutions to Squamish

Yes. Vehicle resident permits used in other communities have helped meet the needs of a variety of residents. Housed residents – as well as those living in vehicles – want a safe place to call home, where they can benefit from their right to quiet enjoyment. We could better meet all groups’ needs.

It’s important that we respect people’s right to have agency over their living circumstances, while also ensuring that they are not trespassing on other community members’ rights for the same. A permit system, that should be built with those most impacted by this issue, would help ensure that all stakeholders’ needs are met.

The Vehicle Residents of Squamish (VRS) advocacy group shared with me that they are willing to partner with the DOS to develop a permit system, but currently the DOS is largely using bylaw enforcement to manage the issue. They felt that this was placing undue hardship on them, while a number of homeowners and renters felt that the issue is getting worse despite the enforcement approach. 

A permit system would create clear expectations for behaviour as well as details on how it will be enforced. Any system should be accompanied with education and clear communication on the District’s website. Permit fees would pay for the cost to administer the program. 

When I got my property tax bill this year, I didn’t want to pay it. Last year’s 12.8% increase – the highest in the province – is hard to justify. The same goes for 2027 (13%) and 2028 (12.9%). 

Our taxes are going up, yet our amenities are still lacking. This month, the DOS announced they were cancelling swim lessons this fall and the pool is closing on Mondays. We’re paying more and getting less. 

The DOS says that growth pays for growth – new development being necessary to pay for infrastructure and amenity updates. Squamish has doubled in size in the last 20 years – we still have the same hospital, long-term-care facility, recreation centre, and we are now the 2nd most expensive town in BC. Growth isn’t paying for growth, we are. 

That’s why I’m freezing property tax increases for 2027, while working to improve services and amenities. Residents deserve better value for their tax dollars. I’ll use lean management principles and work with Council and staff to identify wasteful spending, simplify processes, remove duplicated work and review management structures. Frontline staff know where systems aren’t working - we’ll give them the support and authority to serve residents more effectively.

All proposed changes must pass a clear test: does it reduce costs while maintaining or improving services for residents? We’ll transparently publish savings and measure results, including wait times, access to services, and resident feedback.