Dear Mayor Brain and Council,

We’d like to make it very clear that we are a city in a housing crisis and as a result, we also recognize the desperate need for affordable housing in our community. We firmly believe that housing should not be a privilege but a basic human right – a necessity that we all need access to, to ensure good mental, physical, and emotional health. Every person and family in our city deserves this. Period.

We firmly feel that a 6 storey, family orientated residence providing 70 units such as this one would have a positive effect in our neighbourhood.

What a great view of one of the last remaining forested areas within the city. Hays Creek runs through the site where there are fish and other habitats among the lush forest. These folks will regularly see deer, wolves, and eagles inhabiting this land. Prince Rupert is not a sprawling metropolis, but a small community in the middle of a rainforest. We don’t have a lot of space for development. Fortunately, the city has weekly garbage pick-up, and there will be facilities so people will have somewhere to put their garbage.

The increase in traffic to the area, with the proposed single point of entry to the site, with the proper signage, lighting, and crosswalks should actually make the route safer. Even our deer in Prince Rupert know how to use crosswalks – this will be a welcome to them, too.

Our neighbourhood feels like we need to look at our town as a whole. We want to step-up in hope that it encourages other neighbourhoods to step-up, as well. We love our forests, our animals, and our water, but we love our fellow Prince Rupertites, too! We can’t wait to see what the new build will look like – since Metlakatla raised the bar and did such a fine job with Cedar Village.

As it stands now, a lot of stigma might be attached to a 70 unit BC/housing apartment site, but not in our neighbourhood – we will welcome these folks with open arms. This stigma might serve to draw a line in the sand between various socioeconomic groups – but again, we firmly believe that housing should not be a privilege but a basic human right – a necessity that we all need access to. And since every person and family in the city needs this, as a result, we stand united with our fellow citizens, so that we will no longer see blatant racism/classism run rampant in this city.

From a practical standpoint, surrounding property values should increase, and the neighbourhood becomes more desirable. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

We also believe that affordable housing units should be spread throughout the city’s various neighbourhoods to unite us all as a community.

As it stands right now, 11th Ave E is the site the city has agreed to lease for 60 years for $1, making it possible for the proponent to even build this project. We would like to thank the city for stepping up and facing this housing crisis that we are in.

There are things we hold dear to us that you cannot put a price tag on – people, safety, natural beauty, and building lasting community relationships/integration – the reasons we’ve all chosen to live in this fantastic little community to begin with.

Mayor and council please support this rezoning request – and encourage other proponents to develop more affordable housing projects, so that other neighbourhoods can benefit, as well.

Sincerely,

Concerned Residents of Prince Rupert