How does a town address a housing crisis when NIMBY is firmly set in the public's mentality?
Tofino, British Columbia: Idyllic beaches, enticing waves, mystical rainforests, and home to the beloved sea otter. It should come as no surprise that this vacation destination is considered to be one of Canada’s most stunning locations, making it a popular summer attraction for Canadian and international tourists alike.
During peak tourism season, June to August, around 1 million people pass through this little coastal town, which year round is home to a mere 2000 residents. To tend to the incredible influx of summer visitors, Tofino puts tremendous pressure on seasonal staff who cater to the needs of these periodic vacationers. Year after year, millions visit and return to this serene destination, and year after year Tofino is faced with the same concern: seasonal housing.
On our first day in the region, we were fortunate to meet with Mayor Josie Osborne to discuss the district’s commitment to sustainability and environmental practices. As a long-standing local politician, she also holds knowledge on the district’s policies that govern local housing and development projects. It is clear that Mayor Osborne cares deeply about the well-being of her constituents. However the conversation around housing is divisive and complex. Based on the what was discussed, the current approach to tackling the community’s housing crisis is a classic case of NIMBY: Not In My Backyard.
The current residents of Tofino understand that there is a desperate need for housing— especially lower-income, affordable housing—for seasonal summer workers who support the town’s tourism industry during peak season. The issue is not that residents view housing as a non-issue, but rather as an issue that should be dealt with out of the public’s eye. This is of course impossible. Ideas for development that suggest using sections of large properties as areas designated for smaller dwellings have been proposed, but were quickly shot down. Based on the conversation with Josie it sounds as though residents are in favour of the idea of building more housing as a concept, but the thought of change, and especially change that directly impacts their daily surroundings, disturbs them more than the idea of leaving people working in the service industry desperately looking for lodging.
There are few problems associated with the NIMBY mentality in Tofino. The most obvious is of course that it acts as an obstacle to community development and progress on the housing issue. The second is that these same individuals that do not want to see housing development “in their backyard”, are reaping the benefits of tourism. Tourism attracts wealth, which means improved access to things such as cafés, shops, and entertainment.
The lack of housing in Tofino isn’t a new issue, nor will it be addressed unless the community opens up to the possibility of expanding housing. Otherwise summer staff will continue to be left with little choice but to opt for less than ideal housing, such as camping in the infamous Poole’s land; 17.5 acres of private property in Tofino owned by Michael Poole which doubles as a hippie commune of sorts and provides affordable housing to close to a hundred people, many of whom work in town.
The catch? There is no septic system, or method of sanitation for the land’s inhabitants, causing the town to have well-justified public health concerns.
The district of Tofino is therefore left with a few options:
1) Implement adequate housing for the seasonal summer staff which would as a result put less pressure on Poole’s land to support these people.
2) Address the current lack of sanitation at Poole’s land without threatening to shut it down.
3) Leave things as they are.
There may however be a silver lining in sight. Osborne spoke of a current development project in Tofino which will provide 60 units of resident-restricted housing, priced using an accessible sliding scale based on renter income. Though this does not directly address the issue of temporary seasonal housing, infrastructure projects such as this one offer hope that the community might be shifting away from their current NIMBY mentality and toward becoming a community which provides not only job but also housing security.
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