SON eR ARO oe

A?7-Sunday News, October 12, 1980

it ox A

Housing crisis to b d
Dear Editor:

Was Angus Ree, North
Vancouver Capilano MLA.
serious when he suggested

recently that the solution to
the housing shortage and

unemployment in the
Vancouver area is to get
people to move away to
places like Kamloops and
Fort St. John?

Is his government so
bereft of policy that all it can
offer to solve our housing
and unemployment
problems is the export of
50,000 people?

Where does Ree get his
information that Kamloops
and Fort St. John have a
surplus of jobs and = ac-
commodation?

Mr. Ree’'s = simplistic
“solution” would be
laughable if it weren't for the
fact that he represents the
party in office in Victoria.

Mr. Ree says that
“housing should be left
strictly to the private sector”
and that the government
should not intervene. That's
precisely what his govern-
ment has done all along and

that’s why we're in such a
“jackpot” today.

The need and demand
today is for affordable
housing. The private sector
has demonstrated con-
clusively that it cannot and
will not fill this need.

The two main facets in the
cost of housing are land and
high interest rates. Mr. Ree
wants these decided by the
marketplace.

But the law of supply and

demand doesn't operate
freely in the housing
marketplace today. It has

been distorted by two factors
at least — the with-holding
of land from the market and
excessive interest rates.
Big developer
porations own literally
thousands of lots in the
Lower Mainland which they
are keeping off the market to
keep the price up.

cor-

Secondly, municipal
governments, and the
provincial government too,
own thousands of lots that
they are keeping off the
market, and when they do

put them up for sale, it is to
the highest bidder, such as
the land recently sold by the
provincial government at the
entrance of Mt. Seymour
Park.

As for the high interest
rates on building loans, there
is nothing to prevent senior
governments from providing
low interest loans. As a
matter of fact, the federal
government does offer such
loans, right now, but most
municipalities are not taking
advantage of them.

Mr. Ree says that he is
opposed to rent controls
because they are an “in-
terference”™ ip the
marketplace. That statement
won't go down well with the
thousands of people being
gouged today by landlords
who are taking advantage of
the zero vacancy rate.

We need not less but more
rent controls in this province
to protect the ordimary
renter from unscrupulous
exploitation.

I have clear recollections
that every time the forest or
miming industry got into

Can’‘t put a price on a

Dear Editor:

There are times m a
democracy when the in-
terests of the individual must
give way for the greatest
good for the greatest number
of people. Expropriathon 1s
such a time and where there
is perhaps no other course
open to government there 1s
a modicum of yustice hard as
itis on the homeowner. But,
when duc to the lack of
foresight) and planmng a

KEEP IT SHORT

Readers’ letters on ail topics
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specially requested. We
reserve the right to edit letters
for brevity, taste and legality

Lets bear trom you -. often The
address 18 North Shore News,
1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North
Vancouwer BC V7M 2H4

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Council has fatled to acquire
suitable property within the
immediate area while land
was still available at a
reasonable price, they do, as
in the case of the Noble
property on Hunter Street
commence expropriation to
satisfy the needs of the Fire
Department, then one must
pause to reflect. The Fire
Chief says no other property
1s suitable, the Council says
wt cannot) po elsewhere
because of the pnce. What
they are saying in effect 1s,
“To hell with the home
owner, well take the piece
of the property we want and
thatas the end of tt 7”

Nothing 1s said of what
happens to the ruimed
property that ts left, a nine

foot backyard and a twelve
foot wall up the side The
Dastrict yust might be moved
to compassion and offer to
buy the whole property al
fair market pnce

What is a fair market price
for a home
generations
Whats price the
memones, the happiness.
the sadness that made «tt a
home A housc is bricks and
mortar.

three
lived?

where
have
are

a bome is years of

Orapery
With roqutin

cnr lear pte

borning and dying. of
struggle and hardship. of
victory and = success. of
laughter and of tears. What
is the price? There is none
and if these people are
forced out they should be
paid on that basis and not on

difficulties, the government
rushed m with tax con-
cessions and subsidies from
the pubbhc purse to heip
them keep up their rate of
profit. Why doesn't it now
show the same concern for
people that it does for big
business?

The housing shortage can
be alleviated by two simple
steps, both of which can be
taken by government.

The first is for
municipalities and the
provincial government to
make land available at
nominal cost.

The second is for senior
govenments to provide low
interest loans to build af-
fordable housing.

Mr. Ree and the govern-
ment he represents have no
right to shrug their shoulders
and tell people to get out.
They have a responsibility to
help provide affordable
housing and should oot shirk
that responsibility.

Ernie Crist
North Vancouver

home

the going price for a pile of
bricks and mortar and a few
square feet of dirt. These
people are not greedy, they
just don’t want to sell their
home. What would you do”
C.F. Vagg

North Vancouver

Licensing of
Rec Centre opposed

Dear Editor

We would hike to ask the
residents living within a sax
block radius of the North
Vancouver Recreation
Centre at 23rd and Lonsdale.
uf they are aware that the
Recreation Commission has
been given “Approval m
Principle” by the loval
councils to open a Class ~A~
heensed lounge. to sci
bquor by the glass in the
Seymour room, which could
be open 14 hours a day. 7
days a weck

Those wishing to protest
should wnite to the following
address before October 15

CLEANING

We tahe the worry our of drapery Cleaning.

The general Manager.
Liquor Control and
lacensing Branch, P © Box
640, Victoma, BC V&W
2P8

Residents bving outside

the sux block area wishing to

protest should write oor
phone heir respective
Mayor and Council

Richard and Audicy
[thingworth

North Vancouver

Joiner

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(804) 33-3722

Pity shown for
show contestants

Dear Editor:
I couldn't help but feel
pity for the close to a

hundred people in costume
who begged and whimpered
in order to be selected for
the trading floor on “Let's
Make a Deat’.

It was a pathetic sight to
see people who were willing
to go to such extremes for
money and a_ chance to be
on television. Some had
been coming for days in the
hopes of being picked, only
to be ignored. Watching
grown people rant, rave and
then cry is a sad thing and it
makes one wonder about the
values of today’s society.

The production people's
attitude towards those who

= .
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NORTH VAN.
125 East 15th St

980-2625

MING WO

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had come for the show was
not impressive. They did not
seem to be concerned about

individuality, oor hurt
feelings.

The members of the
audience were herded

around as though they were
cattle (without the least bit
of consideration). It seemed
as though all that those who
were producing the show
were interested in, was the
show and, as emphasized by
Chuck, the announcer,
money.

A very sad reality has been
presented here, and that 1s
that people will do virtually
anything for money.
Scheherazade Jamal
North Vancouver

980-9213

Ay

WEST VAN.
1564 Marine Dr
926-6026