A New West man encourages renters to participate in the official community plan update so the city gets a complete picture of its future housing needs.
Jonathan Gibson, who moved to New Westminster in 2013, is currently renting a condo in downtown New West with his wife.
“As a renter, I am looking at this plan as the city’s vision for 2041,” he said. “I can’t help but look at it with the lens of wondering where I can fit in across the city 10 or 25 years from now.”
The official community plan projects the city’s population will grow to 102,000 by 2041.
“I wonder where I can see myself living across the city, and also what housing forms could still be affordable to me, as a renter and potentially as a future homeowner,” Gibson said.
The city is seeking feedback on the first draft of land-use maps that show the types and locations of land uses envisioned in New Westminster in the next 25 years. The next sessions take place this Saturday, Oct. 15 – and Gibson encourages renters to attend to ensure their voices are heard in the process.
While renters were once considered transient, Gibson said that’s becoming less and less true as home ownership becomes more challenging because of rising housing costs. He thinks it’s “incredibly important” that renters use their collective voices to help shape the city’s vision so the official community plan isn’t skewed toward single-family home owners.
According to the City of New Westminster, about 44 per cent of households in the city are renters. People aren’t required to share whether they’re renters or owners, but less than 10 per cent of respondents attending recent OCP workshops indicated they were renters.
Gibson said renters don’t always want to live in apartments and may have different housing needs as their families grow. As part of the OCP, the city is seeking feedback about draft infill housing design guidelines for laneway and carriage houses, rowhouses and townhouses.
“In the end, that vision will affect all of us,” he said.
While Gibson was attracted to New West based on its values for retaining character and being accessible, he thinks residents still need to consider future needs.
“The status quo might not necessarily be in anyone’s best interest,” he said. “Fighting for the status quo and seeing those values and character of the city as something that’s static might actually be contrary to any one person’s best interest, much less the city’s. I think I would love to see a positive voice for change that builds on the best parts of New West but doesn’t hold itself back either.”
See www.newwestcity.ca/ourcity for all the details about the meetings.
