In almost every edition of Pique Newsmagazine there are articles about the housing crisis, including the article, “It’s ‘grim’: Whistler’s housing crisis continues to deteriorate ahead of another winter,” in the Nov. 17th edition.
Most of us have heard about irresponsible tenants, but let’s look at irresponsible landlords and landladies. I recently heard about a two-bedroom suite rented to eight (yes, eight) young men, each paying $1,200 per month. That’s $9,600 per month! Although I do not know the suite owner’s investment cost or expenses, it looks like the owner is gouging. That’s plain greed. That is an irresponsible landlord or landlady. Everyone wants a good return on investment, but, if true, this is plain gouging. This is not a safe nor healthy environment for tenants.
Most young men and women come to Whistler for the life experiences—skiing, riding, biking and yes, partying. Whoever comes to Whistler for a season or two or four with the idea of making money is naïve. However, it is our responsibility to give people the opportunity to have a good Whistler experience—and that includes reasonable rent. Governments must create incentives to develop affordable rental housing.
Every young person who leaves Whistler will say either good or bad things about their Whistler experience. We want them to say good things, as they are the sales force that spreads the word around the world. Some of them will have good careers and return to Whistler as guests.
As a young man, I travelled extensively in the early 1970s. I was a tenant on four occasions. Not once did I feel over-charged or ripped off. My landlords were all reasonable businessmen. My experiences were very positive. This was before rent controls, when there were choices and a healthy vacancy rate.
Cuthbert Huckvale // Whistler
