Transporting old houses out of new subdivisions is a great option

At this post I highlight a March 25, 2022 CBC article entitled: “At 95, Nestor Kozey still moves whole houses — roof, walls and all: Kozey still runs, plays baseball and gets his hands dirty like a man half his age”

An excerpt (I’ve omitted embedded links) reads:

In a province gripped in a housing crisis where the average price of a home topped $1 million in February and there are calls for sweeping reform to reign-in unchecked price growth, Kozey doesn’t understand why it isn’t easier to do his job.

He rescues perfectly good homes that stand in the way of the rapidly expanding suburbs so they can be moved to a place where someone else can use them.

Housing costs outpacing wages

A March 25, 2022 Stratford Beacon Herald article is entitled: “United Way report shows housing costs outpacing wages in Huron-Perth: A new report on the Future of Housing by the United Way Perth-Huron’s social research and planning council highlights the potential impacts of housing-cost increases continuing to outpace wage increases in Perth and Huron counties.”

An excerpt reads:

Since many residents of Perth and Huron counties can’t afford to purchase a detached home at that average price while more attainable or affordable housing options are harder to find, Lamport-Lewis said local employers are having a harder time attracting and retaining workers to the region.

Without that workforce, she said the region could become less attractive to new industry and business, which could lead to area municipalities losing out on much-needed tax revenue to support the health and social services the large and growing population of Perth-Huron residents aged 65 and older need.

With so much at stake, the authors of the Future of Housing report included a number of recommendations and solutions with their findings.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for living-wage employers to step into the ring. We’re looking at education and awareness around sort of the changing merit of housing. We need all types of housing, not just the single-detached home anymore. We also need to maybe utilize the not-for-profit housing corporation because they’re focused on affordable and attainable housing (and) we really need to look at strategies for retention of the workforce,” Lamport-Lewis said.

In addition to providing area municipalities with the information they need to address the housing crisis locally, Lamport-Lewis said she hopes the report will serve to educate the general public around the need for all styles of housing in their communities.

Living wage

A Nov. 24, 2019 post is entitled:

One in two households earn less than a living wage in Perth & Huron. These photos, taken by residents, underline the impact of low incomes (Nov. 24, 2019)