If you are considering buying property on Cortes Island, it is important to understand the housing crisis we face. According to the 2024 VITAL SIGNS REPORT, ten percent of year-round residents live in unstable housing, twelve percent don’t have bathing facilities, and over two hundred people are on the waitlist for rental housing. These are the people we rely on to provide essential services for our community. At the same time, one third of houses on Cortes are empty for most of the year.
what you can do to help
- Consider renting out space on your property, a secondary suite or a room in your house to a full-time resident. Check out our home & property share program HERE. Some homeowners even rent out their main house to locals in the winter and then make a cabin or tiny house available to those renters in the summer.
- Watch this VIDEO about Cortes and join one of our over 30 non-profit associations to contribute your skills and time.
- Hire local contractors to create employment and keep money circulating in the community. Search our TRADES DIRECTORY.
- Shop locally
- Donate to fund purpose built rental housing and other innovative solutions HERE
