I'm writing to you with some very important concerns on my mind. One of them is housing. I think that we need a lot more affordable housing for lower-income people in Prince George.
I realize that we're not in the same housing situation as other B.C. communities are, such as Vancouver, but I'm worried that one day we will be.
Earlier today there was a radio program on CBC about the lack of affordable housing throughout B.C., and it was both depressing and alarming. It seems to me that it's only a matter of time before it happens here. It's incredibly frightening to think that one may wind up homeless just because their income isn't high enough to afford something as basic as housing.
Another thing that I'm concerned about is the lack of services in our wonderful city. That's not to say that there aren't any services at all; there are many fine organizations out there that are doing their best with the staff and resources that they have. What I'm worried about are the holes in the system and the people unfortunate enough to fall through them.
As someone who's been there, it's not an enjoyable experience, knowing that I'm too "wealthy" for some much-needed services yet without the income to pay for these services myself.
On a happy note, as an avid bus rider I was very happy to hear that the city is going to be expanding bus service, albeit not until the autumn of next year.
I understand that all of these services cost money, yet I think that they are vitally important to our community.
I believe that a community needs to be inclusive of everyone, no matter what a person's income may be.
Danielle M. Bastien
Prince George
