It’s not the dreams our parents had for themselves, or even perhaps the dreams our parents had for many of us when we hit our own “family” stage in B.C.
A large grassy yard, a garage, a place to play with the dog. A house with four bedrooms, a recreation room and a dining room where you can sit 12 for Christmas dinner.
If you are 40 and under, chances are you may only be able to buy that kind of home if you want to live in Chilliwack.
Barring family inheritances and jobs that pay more than $100,000 a year, most working families will probably end up renting or cramped in condominiums in the Metro Vancouver area. And, given the price of single-family detached homes, they may see their toddlers grow all the way to teenhood in those condos.
Is that a bad thing?
Certainly it’s hard to give up on a dream. But as with most things, there’s an upside as well. If cities like New Westminster ensure that new development is family-friendly and developers build condos with suites big enough for a family of four or five – then at least there may be affordable housing for young families.
As it stands now, young working families simply can’t afford to have a home of their own. And, if this city’s vision becomes a reality, the city will also evolve to support families housed in condos.
One only has to take a look at the Port Royal development to see that it can be done. In Queensborough, the once-industrial site is now a model community with rental apartments, condos, townhouses, and smaller detached rowhomes. It has play areas, meeting rooms and a community garden. Yes, it’s nothing like downtown New West – but the city’s plan to have developers build more three-bedroom condos is a good start.
We must make it possible and, importantly, enjoyable for young families to live in urban areas. The best neighbourhoods are mixed ones – the elderly, the middle-aged, the well-to-do, the working class Joes. If the neighbourhood only reflects our own little piece of the demographic pie, it’s a distorted view of society.
Yes, mandating three-bedroom units in new condos through a city bylaw is a small step in expanding our city’s family-friendly neighbourhoods, but it’s an important one. And the right one.
