Housing Working Group Report

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Islands Trust  Housing Working Group Report Page 1 
 
 
 
 
Housing Working Group Report 
 
  
 
 
DATE OF MEETING:  September 1, 2020 
 
TO: Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee 
 
FROM:  Housing Working Group: 
Laura Patrick 
David Secord 
Jessica Harkema 
Daniel Wood 
Rhonan Heitzmann 
Meror Krayenhoff 
Ron Cook
 
SUBJECT:  Housing Challenges and Solutions Project 
 
 
RECOMMENDATION  
 
That the Salt Spring Local Trust Committee add “Housing challenges and solutions” to the Top Priority 
List and direct staff to develop a Project Charter for Phase 1 and a Housing Task Force terms of 
reference to the Salt Spring Local Trust Committee for simultaneous endorsement. 
 
Report Summary 
 
Salt Spring Island’s Official Community Plan (OCP) embodies the vision of a diverse community living in 
harmony with the environment.  Over the past two decades, a housing crisis has emerged concurrent 
with climate and forest (land use) crises. These issues are interrelated.  Integrated solutions are feasible 
and increasingly urgent. This proposed project concerns housing, but in a broad sense. The time is now 
to pursue housing solutions that also support better solutions for other challenges and crises. 
 
The objectives of this proposed project are to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of housing 
on Salt Spring, including its ecological, climatic, and socioeconomic dimensions.  The goals for this 
proposed project are to develop new policies and regulations that will increase the quality and quantity 
of housing options, coupled with a high level of preservation and protection of the island’s biodiversity 
and freshwater, marine, and forest resources.  Affordable, appropriate, accessible, and attractive 
housing should be available for Salt Spring residents of all abilities, incomes, lifestyles, livelihoods, and 
household types. 
 
An overview of the proposed project is provided in the Project Snapshot below.  Two phases are 
proposed.  Phase 1 begins with the appointment of a housing task force, which is a high-energy pivoting 
body representing environmental, social and economic interests.  A key action for phase 1 is a robust 
public involvement strategy to ensure that the housing action plan to be developed will accurately 
reflect the public’s values and has community support.  Phase 1 ends with the development of a 
prioritized action plan. 
 
Phase 2 recognizes that housing-related social, economic and environmental issues are beyond the 
capacity of any one organization.  Cross-sector partners are required to work collaboratively to develop 

Islands Trust  Housing Working Group Report Page 2 
and implement integrated solutions.  A permanent, resourced community advisory body is proposed to 
develop a framework for actions to be implemented in a manner that integrates and considers both 
human and ecosystem needs through integrated planning, policy development and recommendations 
for implementation by member agencies and organizatio

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