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As a full-time resident of Collingwood, I look on with dismay at the impending train wreck that is the complete lack of planning regarding the housing situation.
Everywhere I look I see newly built or under-construction developments of townhomes/homes that probably number in the hundreds with more projects in the works. These homes have a common denominator in that they are all priced at or above the $1-million price point. As more residents both full-time and part-time move to Collingwood, the retail infrastructure supporting these residents will continue to expand — more big-box stores, fast-food franchises, restaurants, auto repair, etc. All these new businesses will need employees to make this viable, but as of right now there is a huge shortage of labour available in the $15- to $20-per-hour range to fill existing vacancies. The main reason for this labour shortage is a lack of affordable rental housing for these workers.
This problem on the face of it would seem to have a simple solution — just build more inexpensive rental units, and the labour shortage will no longer be an issue — but no one wants to build these types of housing units because of greed. The builders make more money selling million-dollar cookie-cutter homes, and the Town of Collingwood receives more property taxes.
So, there is no incentive for either of the main parties involved to change the way they do business.
The Town of Collingwood must start forcing developers to build a higher percentage of low-priced rental units into every new project or they cannot receive approval, period. No exceptions. I am sure the developers will cave to the pressure as they are greedy, and will take the hit to their profit margin if it means it is the only way to get a project done.
The alternative is to keep going full speed ahead until none of the local retail can function at all due to lack of an affordable labour force and have to close down. It may sound like a far-fetched result, but it has played out in hundreds of similar towns all over North America in the past and Collingwood will not be an exception. The train is coming.
Rourke Henderson
Collingwood
