Re: The threat to homes is greater than ever, the Record, Inbox, Feb. 15.
According to the latest census and CREA data, the Queen’s Park neighbourhood is one of the wealthiest districts of New Westminster; and it has some of the highest residential property values in the municipality. These are among the most valuable properties in New Westminster, and the community consists of many of our wealthiest citizens.
Anyone residing in these homes is sitting upon a mountain of wealth; even those on a fixed income. The homeowners within the Queen’s Park Heritage Conservation Area (QPHCA) have numerous options available to afford repair as any bank in the vicinity should be more than happy to provide financing options. In the unfortunate event that a resident has greatly over-extended themselves and so exhausted these options, then they can no longer afford to live within the QPHCA.
And so what then? Well, take a look at the growth of New Westminster’s communities that are outside of the QPHCA. There are plenty of more affordable options just minutes away, which do not require one to maintain a rather expensive home; and there is certain to be many potential buyers of the heritage property that will be happy to live in and maintain it properly.
Perhaps members of the QPHCA should form a HOA to enforce proper maintenance and to provide a means of collectivising the burden of cost.
Many of New Westminster’s residents reside within strata arranagements which operate in such a manner, and if maintaining the heritage look and feel of the neighbourhood is of such importance to QPHCA, then an HOA is a powerful option to enforce it.
Dan Leslie, New Westminster
