Dear editor,

I saw in the Record a notice of a community consultation about a proposed development by Cascadia Views Inc. of three apartment blocks at 1950 and 1946 Comox Avenue.

As your readers will be aware, the buildings on these lots currently house a significant number of individuals and families who are among the poorest in our community,

It appears from the public information about this development that these people will be evicted and therefore add to the growing number of homeless people in the Comox Valley.

I am entirely supportive of a denser use of these properties in the centre of Comox given the urgent need for additional apartments priced at a level that will enable the many support people needed in our community to find affordable housing.

But I believe the Town of Comox should only approve this development if a substantial number of its units, in the order of 20 per cent, are priced at a subsidized rate, well below current market value.

We are increasingly concerned that current rental rates make it virtually impossible for the many workers our community depends on to find suitable and affordable housing.

This project could be a shining example of a co-operative effort between developers and municipal government to address this challenge head-on. A mix of variably priced units, including those that the current residents could afford, would fully justify the development of this prime site in the middle of our town. It would demonstrate our ability to move beyond words and band-aid solutions to reduce homelessness in our beautiful community.

Tony Reynolds,

Comox