Water Cooler: COVID-19 comments, Tilray’s Nanaimo departure & affordable housing

It’s one which draws a lot of conversation among the greater community…just what is “affordable housing”? According to the State of the Local Economy report published by the City of Nanaimo in 2020, the median household income in 2019 was $69,402 with a per capita income of $37,509.

Conventional wisdom suggests no more than 30 per cent of your income should be devoted to rent (or a mortgage) and other living expenses. While experts say this rule is flexible through things like getting a roommate, that option is either undesirable or impractical for many people.

Using these numbers, an average, single person in Nanaimo should then spend around $937 a month on housing and utilities, or $1,700 per month for a couple or family.

The new complex on Third St. technically (and barely) falls into these categories by pricing microsuites at $900 and two bedroom suites around $2,000. But is housing priced at the very upper end (and a little above) of a conventional range really “affordable”?

BC Housing defines “affordable rental housing” as at or below average rates in the private market. Their website lists 33 complexes of affordable housing units in Nanaimo, with just six labeled “below market rental”.

Despite the supply, it is far outpaced by the demand as there remains very little vacancy with applications subject to long waiting lists.

NanaimoNewsNOW looked at the affordable housing issue in July 2020, speaking with several stakeholders about the issues for renters and challenges for developers.

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Edwin V., Nanaimo: As a “news” outlet you of all people should not silence people on any subject .. you should question why it becomes so toxic! Critical voices need to be heard , even when it is inconvenient ! If you don’t broadcast both ends of a story you are nothing else then a poppet , and in my opinion a poppet of evil !

Rhonda K., Nanaimo: I’m very disappointed in your choice of censorship via turning off comments on your Covid news reports on your Facebook page. Censorship is never acceptable. I will be unfollowing Nanaimo News Now because of this lack of journalistic transparency.

NanaimoNewsNOW: We received a handful of comments regarding our decision to suspend comments on our Facebook page on stories related to the pandemic. We also responded directly to both Edwin and Rhonda, further explaining our position.

Our newsroom had noticed a sizeable shift towards personal attacks, spewing of misinformation and outright lies on stories about COVID-19 and the vaccination passport over the last few weeks. We continued to moderate as necessary but it got to a point where every day devolved into chaos.

The disabling of comments on these stories, a temporary measure, follows in the footsteps of a CBC pilot project earlier this year and a similar decision by our sister station in Prince George recently.

The move isn’t to silence one side, by disabling comments we’re effectively silencing both sides. The move is to simply remove a verifiably negative aspect of our ecosystem and look for a way to do it better. We encourage and welcome open discourse and opposing views. However when that discourse turns into vulgar attacks and outright lies, it serves little purpose in the public realm.

Our role as a news group, our platforms online and on-air, are not to be a soapbox for every side. We take pride in our role providing verified, evidence-based information to our audience.

As previously mentioned, our coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic will follow established, peer-reviewed scientific evidence and the public health steps implemented due to that evidence.

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Jacques H., Nanaimo: What chances if any are there of somebody or a group of somebody’s snatching up the old [Tilray] facility and revamping it for a co-op operation.

NanaimoNewsNOW: That’s the big question. What happens next to a sizeable facility in the heart of Nanaimo’s industrial complex? While Tilray will obviously take a lot of infrastructure with them when they depart, much will remain and be ready-made for a similar company to go in and resume operations.

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog suggested his concerns are with the future of the property, in addition to those soon looking for work.

“It’s a serious blow. It will have a significant roll-out through our local economy. I’m very upset by this and can only hope some other substantial employer like Tilray will be in a position to take over and use their premises,” Krog told NanaimoNewsNOW on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

It will be a waiting game.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @nanaimonewsnow

by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Water Cooler: COVID-19 comments, Tilray’s Nanaimo departure & affordable housing

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