Residents said they are in violation of Metchosin bylaws and must vacate by Aug. 31. The municipality acts after receiving a complaint. Issues include concerns about water supply, electricity, sewage disposal and building codes.
Bryce Knudson lives in a small home among tall cedars and firs by a stream.
It’s an idyllic setting, quiet and peaceful and certainly affordable. He pays $650 a month for the pad, plumbing and electrical connections for the tiny house on wheels he and his father built in Saskatoon two years ago.
Behind a cedar gate that closes to form a heart, Sage Lancaster, the owner of the two-acre Metchosin property just off Kangaroo Road, has created a micro-community of nine people living in three tiny homes on wheels, an RV and a converted bus.
Lancaster said that with the ability to own or even rent a home out of reach for many people, providing an affordable place to live, such as tiny homes, seems like a great idea.
But on August 31, Knudtson and the others were kicked out of Metchosin County.
Lancaster runs afoul of county statutes that allow one primary and one accessory dwelling per lot. She initially received an eviction notice in January after Metchosin received a complaint.
Two extensions were given to explore the options, but the third was refused by the municipality and an August 31 deadline was set.
“The county is working with us on the extensions,” Lancaster said.
“I think they’re happy to hear that we have tank truck water on the property and not aquifer drains and compostable toilets.” But we kind of hit a wall here.”
Lancaster said she plans to take steps so that at least one of her tenants — parents with a young child — can stay. But the other tenants will have to move.
Mayor John Rance said he sympathizes with the plight of Lancaster renters, but any question of whether to change the bylaw to allow additional housing will depend on the council elected in the Oct. 15 civic election, and he’s not optimistic . If anything, he said, residents are pushing the other way, wanting to keep the ordinance as is.
Rance said one option the council is considering is allowing trailer pads on properties as an alternative to a secondary fixed home, but not both.
The mayor, who is in his eighth term as mayor and is not running for re-election, said increasing densification brings a host of costly challenges, such as water, electricity, sewer and updated building codes. “It’s not as simple as changing the bylaw … there’s a lot to consider here.”
Lancaster is asking for an emergency measure to prevent evictions until suitable housing can be found for her tenants, but that is unlikely to happen.
Last June, the Salt Spring Islands Trust passed a resolution preventing action against illegal housing until safer, more affordable housing is found.
Lancaster said he is writing letters to municipalities and regional areas around Vancouver Island to adopt similar policies and move to friendlier bylaws that allow for tiny homes and RVs.
“There is a housing crisis and this could be a solution to at least help with part of the problem.”
Knudtson, who has worked as a receiver at Whole Foods for the past six years, doesn’t know where he’ll go. He said pads and tiny home sites are rare in the CRD, and the few sites he has found are over $1,000 a month in both the Malahat and Cowichan areas.
But he must act quickly, as Lancaster could face fines of up to $100 a day if tenants don’t leave by the end of August.
“It was hard for everybody, Knudson said. “We are a couple of families who work on the front lines and care, teachers, grocery store workers and traders.
“The truth is none of us can afford to rent or own in Victoria or anywhere else on the Island during this recession and housing crisis.”
One of the group is moving to South America and another to Saskatchewan, Knudson said. “But the rest of us are saddled with homes and debt and we can’t just walk away.” This is an emergency and I have no idea what else to do.
Knudson said he had to have roommates to pay sky-high rents before he and his father built the tiny house on wheels. Now he’s losing sleep over whether to put his tiny home in storage or sell it and get back into the rental market, considered one of Canada’s most expensive.
A report last month by Rentals.ca indicated that renters in Victoria would need to earn $55,000 to $85,000 a year, depending on location, to pay for a one-bedroom apartment.
Rentals.ca said the average rent for a one-bedroom in the region is $1,870 a month, up 14% year-over-year, while a two-bedroom costs an average of $2,900 a month, the third highest price for a two-bedroom in Canada behind Vancouver and Toronto .
Lancaster and Knudson organized a social media group, BC Housing Crisis, and a petition calling on governments to act on affordable housing and put a moratorium on illegal housing evictions.
“Families and individuals in the Capital Regional District are avoiding homelessness by finding safe and affordable housing in tiny homes and caravans on private land,” they said. “This safe and affordable housing solution is currently illegal in every CRD municipality. As long as no one reports them, they will be safe. Some speak out while others remain silent for fear of homelessness. Many have already been reported. If no action is taken, dozens of families and people will be evicted from their homes by the end of the summer.”
dkloster@timescolonist.com
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