ISLA - Islanders Secure Land Association
A Community Land Trust
Committed to Securing Affordable Housing Opportunities for Island Residents
Why affordable housing is needed
Property on Hornby and Denman Islands has become increasingly attractive to non-resident buyers, driving home prices ever higher and limiting the availability of secure rental accommodation. It is now very difficult for islanders living and working in the community to achieve stable year-round housing. Valued community members are leaving. Businesses are having trouble recruiting employees. Property owners are having to pay more for help. Volunteers required to keep community services going are getting harder to find. School enrolment has plunged.
Accessible housing is essential for the community's economic, social and cultural well-being. It is hard for residents to fully participate in community-building when their housing situation is constantly uncertain. It will be hard for other residents to continue living here when there is a scarcity of people to provide the services we all need and to keep businesses going, community culture alive and activities happening
How a community land trust can address housing needs
A community land trust can secure stable housing for residents by:
- holding land in trust to eliminate the price of land from housing costs;
- enabling residents of modest means to own their own homes on land leased from the land trust;
- ensuring that housing is perpetually affordable to subsequent owners by capping resale prices.
Who will have access to housing on ISLA land
ISLA is developing selection criteria which will likely reflect the practices of other community land trusts. Succesful applicants will have to be island residents of modest means whose annual income is below a certain level, while also being sufficient to support the financing of their home.
There is a wide range of residents in housing needs, including single people, couples and families with children. We hope to offer a number of housing scenarios to meet various needs. It is unlikely that ISLA will initially be in a position to provide rental housing.
Where ISLA housing could be sited
ISLA does not have the financial resources to purchase land. At this stage land acquisition is dependent upon donations.
On Hornby, ISLA has been offered the donation of a 10-20 acre parcel, subject to land use decisions and subdivision approval. It is in a prime location: on Central Road, half-way between the school and the Co-op. Housing sites would be secluded from public view.
It is possible, subject to zoning and government policy, for ISLA in future to have acesss to Crown land in the Hornby public use area for community housing. ISLA can also accept the donation of developed lots for housing purposes, or of agricultural parcels to secure land for future food production.
When ISLA expects to having housing opportunities available
Key land use decisions on the Central Road property could be made by fall. The subdivision and land donation process could be completed sometime in 2008.
ISLA has to prepare a development plan and submit a succesful application for a zoning amendment. Financial and other arrangements will need to be in place to prepare the site and establish services (road, drainage, hydro, water, sewage treatment). How long this will take will depend, to a large extent, upon the active involvement of community members.