INSIGHTS Land price curbs only answer to rental woes THE ‘‘RENTAL crisis’’ currently dominating iocal headlines is wrongly named. What they're really talking about is a LAND-PRICE crisis and until it’s resolved, renters cannot hope fer any relief. This doesn’t excuse gouging landlords who abruptly slap their tenants with rent hikes of up to 50 per cent or more. As a temporary measure they should, at very least, be hauled before city council to explain in public why they need all that extra money so suddenly. Threatened with such unwelcome exposure, many would undoubted- ly decide to roll back the increase to a more reasonable level. But mandatory rent review is, at best, a Band-Aid solution. It fails entirely to address the gut problem — a rental vacancy rate nudging zero. With people moving to B.C. in droves, there simply isn’t enough rental! housing to meet the demand. Nor is any easing in sight under our present system. Soaring land prices fuelling the overheated rea! estate market of the past year have made it virtually impossible for a developer to build and operate new rental accom- modation at a profit. Meanwhile, landlords stuck with existing rental developments scramble to grab the top dollar ‘‘justified"’’ by the vastly increased paper value of their property. If that means putting grandma out on the street, hard luck, but plenty of others are lined up outside ready to snatch her apartment at any price. Rent controls would merely make the future supply situation still worse. The ONLY way to en- courage rental housing develop- ment again is by restoring oppor- tunities for developers to make a reasonable return on it, while charging reasonable rents. And that can only be done by controll- ing the cost of land. How best to set about this is another thing again. The more conventionai options include tax- funded government subsidies and municipal land banks. A more radical suggestion — which would keep the whole real estate market at a cooler temperature — is a legislated “‘cap”’ on residential land price in- creases. Using annual assessment data, maximum price-hike per- centages would be linked to (but not necessarily the same as) the go- HAPPY NEW YEAR for (ieft) Brad Carlon and (right) Shay Kleinsorge, winners of trips for two to Hawaii in the holiday season contest by the Great Canadian Steak & Cheese Co. at Lonsdale Quay. Company co-owner ing inflation rate, instead of fol- lowing crazy 30 to 40 per cent spirals. All these courses involve gov- ernment interference with the free market. But so, of course, does medicare — the rationale there be- ing that health is too important to be left, as in the U.S., solely to the mercy of market forces. Affordable shelter, you may think, is surely at least as impor- tant. However, if the free market DOES have a better solution for grandma — out on the street for lack of an extra $200 a month — please let us know! fee Tom Matzen (centre) looks equally happy. Financial cleanup HE GREATER Vancouver Regional! District’s draft action plan to clean up Burrard Inlet is yet another detailed chronicle of polluted environment. the harbor’s TAILPIECES: Loca! artists and craftsfolk have just six weeks until the North Shore Spring Surying that will select eight works for “*Images & Objects VIII."” This vi- sual arts show sponsored by the Assembly of B.C. Arts Councils forms part of the May 23-27 B.C. Festival of the Arts in Saanich. It’s also the only show of its kind which subsidizes its participants, enabling them to travel to it from NEWS pheto Neil Lucente anywhere in B.C., attend workshops and meet fellow B.C. artists. In addition to the works selected by the jurors there are Honorable Mention certificates and three cash awards to be won. Registration forms from West Van Arts Coun- cil, 922-1110, or North Van Arts Council, 988-6844, and entries must be delivered to Klee Wyck, 200 Keith Road, West Van, on Friday, March 2, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Get painting (or whatever)! ... Serious about the environment? Then red-ring next Thursday, Jan. 25, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at North Shore Neighbour- hood House, where Andrea Miller will give her inspirational and hu- morous talk on ‘tHow To Be A Home Enivironmentalist.’’ She'll show ways of changing your lifestyle to that of a conserver rather than a mere consumer, with practical tips on recycling and safe home products. To pre-register (fee $3) call 987-8138 ... Anda smart salute to the Mount Seymour Lions Club which do- nated over $13,700 to Timmy's Christmas Telethon — $8,100 of it supplied by generous North Van shoppers who filled Club members’ cans at three major North Van malls. ‘‘Their generosi- ty was overwhelming,’’ says Club president Rob Dalton. kek WRIGHT OR WRONG: Those who spend their day looking for easy work always go to bed dog But it will become nothing more than another document of good intentions if funds for the badly needed inlet cleanup are not committed soon by all three levels of government. According to the GVRD’s draft action plan, major polluters of the harbor environment include the Lions Gate sewage treatment plant, heavy industries around the harbor, and commercial and industrial vessels that use Burrard Inlet. While sewage treatment has traditionally been a municipal responsibility, authority over such factors as commercial vessels using Vancouver’s harbor come under the authority of the federal government through the Vancouver Port Corp. And the complexity of sewerage overhaul for the Lower Mainland coupled with the staggering $1.5 billion needed for its upgrade diciates that its cost be shared by more than just municipal governments. After all, a better sewage disposal system would benefit the bailiwicks of municipal, provincial and federal governments. Upgrades to sewage facilities in other Canadian cit- ies, such as Montreal, have been substantially funded by senior levels of government. The degradation of Burrard Inlet has been a coop- erative effort; its cleanup will require a similar effort. ue 3 Sie 4 . uit} SRENE FROM THE MOTORCADE. Peter Speck Managing Editor Barrett Fisher Associate Editor Noel Wright Advertising Director Linda Stewart North Shore News, tounded in 1969 a5 an independent suburban new paper atid quaihed under Schedule 141, Paragtapn UF of the Eecise Tas Act. 1s published each Wadnesaay, Friday and Sunday by Nort Shore Free Pre tid and astrbuted to every door on the North ore Second Class Mui Registration Number SH85 Subscuptions North and West Vancouver, $i rat Mating rates available on request Submessions are welcome oul we cannot accept responsibilty tor unsolicited matetal inctading Manuscupls and pictures which should be accompanied by 4 Stamped, addressed envelope Publisher CE VENCE OF UH TIC ROD WENT ANCOUVEM SUNDAY + WEDNESDAY -FniDaAy 1139 Lonsdate Avenue, Noith Vancouver. 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