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News / Arts / Culture
Midcoast Morning is our Nonprofit Newsroom Projects’s morning news and current affairs magazine with a mix of arts and culture. Airing on CHLY 101.7FM and hitting podcasts feeds Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 A.M. Learn more about the program here→
Nanaimo has met its provincial housing targets this year, but it didn’t add a single unit of affordable housing.There were 875 units issued occupancy permits issued in the last year in Nanaimo. Just over 100 supportive housing units also came online through the provincial HEART & HEARTH program.
The vast majority of new housing in Nanaimo is rental housing, with a relatively balanced mix of one, two, and three or more bedroom units.
The vacancy rate has risen in the past few years, currently estimated at 2.9 per cent, approaching the 3 per cent level city staff suggest is needed to help create a healthy rental market.
Provincial legislation in 2023 created housing targets for municipalities. City staff presented a report sharing Nanaimo’s progress towards meeting those targets at a council meeting this past Monday. Lisa Brinkman, Manager of Community Planning with the City of Nanaimo, spoke with Midcoast Morning about the year in housing.
When you think of invasive species on the West Coast, you might think of Scotch-Broom or English Ivy or European Wall Lizards. The Gabriola Island Shore Keepers Association is thinking of a different invasive species, the European Green Crab. They're hosting a talk Tuesday evening with Christine Spice about the crab and preventing their spread. Today on the program we speak with Isabel Pearsall, a volunteer of the organization, about this invasive species and also about what the association is doing more broadly in the community. We also speak with Tom Therriault from Fisheries and Oceans Canada for further information about the crab and Nick Wong from the Invasive Species Council of BC about how we can prevent their spread.
The future of a drop in centre and overnight shelter in the south end was the subject of extensive discussion at a pair of council and committee meetings this past week.
The Hub is a facility on Nicol Street and Victoria Road that offers daytime services for people experiencing homelessness run by Island Crisis Care Society, and an evening shelter run by the Nanaimo Family Life Association. Between a Finance and Audit Committee Meeting and a Regular Council Meeting, council heard from more than ten community members about the impacts they feel the service has had on their neighbourhood. Council ultimately voted to extend funding for the site through the end of next winter. Nanaimo City Councillor and south end resident Erin Hemmens spoke with Midcoast Morning about the issue.
