This week the Prince George Citizen will be posting a six-part series: Six Questions for Six Mayoral Candidates.
The focus of the series is to allow voters to hear from the candidates running for mayor on how they would handle real issues which will be coming before the next city council. The candidate’s answers have only been edited for clarity, and are posted in alphabetical order.
QUESTION: The city’s housing needs assessment shows that Prince George will need thousands of additional homes of all types by 2031. On Sept. 21, city council requested a report looking at initiatives being used in other B.C. communities to promote affordable housing. How much Prince George taxpayer money, land and staff resources would you be willing to dedicate to housing-related initiatives? Would you support initiatives which put restrictions on private developers to increase the mix of affordable housing in new developments?
ADAM HYATT
Looking at what is being done in other communities to promote affordable housing may be valuable, but Prince George has its own uniqueness.
I would not spend a great deal of staff resources on this. I think providing incentives for developers, rather than putting restrictions on them, is the better way to go to promote affordable housing in new developments.
We need to make Prince George attractive for housing developers to invest.
TERRI McCONNACHIE
I am open to exploring out of the box thinking to provide sustainable solutions in partnership with senior government and industry, as opposed to sitting on our hands, in woe at the problems.
The caveat is sustainable and sensible solutions, with the framework of a plan. Borrowing ideas from other communities is a good start and evolving them to suit Prince George.
LISA MITCHELL
Mitchell did not respond to the Citizen’s request for comment as of Friday afternoon. This story will be updated, should Mitchell respond at a later date.
ROY STEWART
I will support initiatives by the City which encourage private investment in housing; I will not support the City itself investing in housing development, with one exception: I support having in the short term, additional housing being made available to homeless people.
Some private enterprise involvement in that initiative would be encouraged, as well.
CHRIS WOOD
Housing and the drug crisis here in B.C. are at emergency levels.
Local staff and resources must be increased to accommodate the increased needs. Putting extra restrictions on private developers is only viable when you have a surplus of housing; when you have a shortage it only makes the problem worse.
We have a shortage currently.
SIMON YU
I will not use Prince George taxpayer’s money to support any housing-related initiatives.
City hall needs to work with investors and developers to increase supply, promote affordable housing, and develop senior housing with balanced density, while implementing an efficient development/building permitting process like I have committed to with Operation: Build It!
Prince George must also have a long- term infrastructure development plan that can support all the necessary housing developments in the coming years, with particular attention to public transportation, green space protection, schools, and shopping neighborhood shopping needs.
The city also has to proactively engage and build relationships with BC Housing to ensure that Prince George is receiving it’s fair share of provincial funding committed to social housing.
