Editorial from our President
Lately I have read several letters written to the Enterprise Bulletin newspaper questioning the high density of certain developments in our region. These writers assume that city density would not follow our “rural” areas.
So, what kind of housing do we have in the Town of The Blue Mountains? We have plenty of new homes under construction but do they fulfill the needs of the locals and new influx buyers alike? My personal feeling is that there is too much construction being built in the higher dollar bracket.
A key issue for locals is that affordable housing is hard to come by and commuting from less expensive places in outlying areas is common. There is a need for governments, developers and citizens to find better housing solutions for all in our area. Higher density in town developments is one part of the puzzle.
Housing prices are such that many first-time house buyers cannot afford local homes. Salaries have not kept pace in the private sector in the low and middle incomes. We need to go back to the drawing board and start redirecting our development priorities to include the local working people and their housing needs. Balancing the rental and higher-priced homes/apartments is something to look at.
The situation will only get worse until we take some firm steps to deal with the problem and if we are not willing to do so, the local economy will suffer.
Dolf Jansen
BMCC President