By Andrew Mitchell
Friday, Dec. 15 is the last opportunity that residents have to
weigh in on eight changes to the Whistler Housing Authority policies, including
changes to Standard Charge Terms, waitlist procedures, and rental restrictions.
According to WHA general manager Marla Zucht the response so
far has been strong and it’s likely that all of the proposed changes will go
through.
“We have had 109 responses to the proposed policies, and the
majority of respondents have agreed to them,” said Zucht. “When we have all the
responses in we’ll go to the WHA board in January for their approval, but
looking at the direction to date it looks fairly positive.”
If the WHA board approves of the changes to WHA policies, the
WHA hopes to take them to municipal council by late January or early February.
Council will make the final decision, taking into account the results of the
online survey.
Some of the most dramatic changes will be to the administration
of the waitlist. If approved, the WHA will keep the “three strikes” policy
whereby residents on the waitlist are sent to the back of the list if they
refuse three homes in a row — but with some important changes. Strikes will
no longer be given if a unit’s maximum resale exceeds the applicant’s mortgage
pre-approval amount, if nobody on the list purchases the unit at the maximum
resale price, and if a unit is deemed in substandard condition.
The WHA is also proposing to change the one year requirement
for residents to get onto the housing waitlist, allowing all employees who
average at least 20 hours a week to apply.
Businesses may also be able to get on the WHA waitlist for new
housing projects, as the WHA explores the issue.
The new WHA policies would also allow special consideration
based on housing affordability for WHA waitlist applicants that currently own
market housing in Whistler.
In other areas, another important policy change would eliminate
the five per cent cap on annual appreciation based on the Core Consumer Price
Index, and allow owners to voluntarily switch to the CCPI formula if the
appreciation of their homes is currently tied to the Vancouver housing market.
Legal assistance will be required.
There are several ways switching to the CCPI could be a
benefit. For one, if homes in Vancouver continue to appreciate in the double
digits, switching to the slower-growing CCPI could result in lower property
taxes down the road. For another, if the Vancouver housing market declines,
switching to the usually dependable CCPI could protect a home’s maximum resale
value.
Recognizing that some residents travel or may work abroad, the
WHA is proposing a change to the current rental restrictions whereby an
employee housing unit cannot be unoccupied by an owner for more than one year
cumulatively. Under the new policy, the owners have to occupy the unit for six
months and a day of every year, and can apply for exceptions if they wish to
leave Whistler for more than 12 months over two calendar years.
Another significant change would allow WHA properties to be
transferred to heirs, providing certain conditions are met.
For more details on the proposed changes or to share your opinion on policies, the WHA website is www.whistlerhousing.ca