Global housing challenges really hit the news in 2024. You likely heard the national headlines in Canada with new funding programs and initiatives to get more housing built. In many ways, Cortes is a poster child for these challenges with important island contributors like the garbage truck driver moving off island to find affordable land elsewhere. While we certainly have our work cut out for us, 2024 was a banner year for the Cortes Housing Society.

The Cortes Housing Society is looking for a part-time Construction Manager to engage in a 6-month contract (with potential to extend). The Construction Manager will be responsible for on-site supervision of construction efforts for the Rainbow Ridge Project. Responsibilities will also include but are not limited to planning, budgeting, subcontractor procurement, and ensuring compliance with project designs and specifications.

The Cortes Housing Society is launching a home sharing service on Cortes. Last March we hosted a Home Sharing Forum, interviewing Janey Rowland and Noelle Marcus about their innovative projects to boost home sharing in their communities.

Did you know that BC Housing offers two rental subsidy programs?  One is for families and the other is for seniors.  Check out their on-line calculator to see how much you could save every month: https://www.bchousing.org/housing-assistance/rental-assistance-programs

Perhaps you’ve heard that the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) is updating the zoning bylaws that govern development on Cortes.  These bylaws should have been updated to reflect the Official Community Plan (OCP) over a decade ago. As a result, our currently bylaws are quite outdated and this update is a very important opportunity to shape housing on island for the next decade.

With all this rain, it’s hard to imagine that our island’s natural water systems are vulnerable. Looking to other islands in our region and recognizing changing climates, we absolutely need to be working to protect and preserve our below-ground fresh water. We have recently received notice from the Real Estate Foundation of BC that we were awarded a grant to conduct an aquifer health assessment for Cortes to progress this work here.