8 - Friday, July 1, 1994 - North Shore News

MAILBOX Renters facing market squeeze

Dear Editor:

Re: your editorial June 3, 1994: “Marketplace mieddlers” wherein you charge that the recent NDP government's rent protection legislation is a

chronic meddler in the marketplace.

Your editorial states that “controlling rents works to the detriment of

renters by searing off investors in rental housing development.” You seem to have baught the line of the Rental Housing Council of B.C. Not surpris-

ing.

The fact is, there has been very litte construction of rental housing in B.C, in the past 10 years. With the cost of land in the Lower Mainland, the dollars are just not there for developers to get into rental housing. Condominiums, most now presold, have a quicker return on profit

Also, with the cost of tand so high, tenants will not or, more important ly, cannot pay the rents required to make the private supply of rental hoas- ing economical. T don't mean to deflate your half-baked demand-and-sup- ply argument, but [do think you should do more homework before you

buy the line of the landlord lobby.

About 52% of tenants over 65 and $0% of those under 25 have trouble paying their rent, just to mention two distinct age groupings, Rental housing is no longer, in many cases, affordable, Don't you think

that they need some protection

vee nol just from gouging —- but from

steadily increasing rents over the past 10 years’? Mast tenants have litle

choice in the current marketplace,

Many families are often priced out of the market and into roonts or

basements suites,

Also, | would encourage your newspaper to take a took at the whale rent “protection” legislation before condemning it. Sixty-three per cent of North Vancouver City residents are renters,

For the first time in 10 yours they can dispute arent increase they think is unjustified or unfair, they have some protection front a landlord's egal eatry and/or harassment: ind they now hive limited means to make their landlord do repairs -— especially emergency repairs.

Ifanyone is meddling, it's your newspaper.

Tom Durning Tenants’ Rights Coalition Vancouver

No user-pay in next referendum

Dear Editor:

Ehave a minor but important correction to make to the caption under the front page photegzaph of Preston Manning and myself which appeared in your. June 26, 1994, edition,

We definitely expressed a com- mitment to teledemocracy as one method of running votes and refer: endums,

However, we also made it clear that Referendum ‘94 was put on a “user pays” basis because it was a test oF the techuology.

{ had made the decision that it was not appropriate for me to com- mit tax dollars from miy office bud- get to the project, and F guaranteed to cover any losses out of my own pocket.

By the time this technology returns to North Vancouver it will have been further tested and per- fected in other ridings so that next time it can be confidently offered at no direct cost to participants.

Although the $1.95 charge to vote in Referendum '94 tumed out to be a non-issue fer most voters,

clearly in the long term the cost must be made part of government operations.

‘Ted White, MP North Vancouver

Overpass plea

Dear Ed3tor:

David Schreck. MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, announced at the June 16 Lions Gate Crossing meeting at the Centennial Theatre, that we can expect an announcement on the Westview overpass “soon.”

Let's be sure to hold Mr. Schreck to his word. Politics is no longer the issue; what is needed is an end to this trafric hazard and transportation irri- tant.

Jeremy Daiton, MLA West Vancouver-Capilano

MCL Motor Cars (1992) Inc.

1730 Burrard Street.

fancouver 738-5577

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Equipment Ltd, Canada Day Sale §

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