'It's getting harder': Surrey's affordability plans take backseat to policing, transit

Finding an affordable family-size home hasn't been easy for Cassie Skidmore.

For the last year, the 30-year-old mother of two has lived with her husband and kids inside a small, four bedroom house in the Surrey neighbourhood of Whalley.

The $2,400-per-month price tag is a bit much for the family, so the they've brought in roommates to help lower their share of the rent.

"We've been looking because we wanted to move to downsize a little and just have our family, but even for a two bedroom we'd be paying more than what we're paying now — and we require at least a three bedroom," she said.

"It's not pleasant."

Skidmore's story isn't unique. As Surrey battles ongoing unaffordability, many families and individuals endure similar struggles.

And while the city tackles big issues like transit and local policing, local housing advocates question if the new government has left affordability behind.

Affordability plan

Surrey's vacancy rate has been driven well below one per cent, while average rents have swelled well above the $1,000 per month mark, according to a city report.

But the city does have a current affordability housing strategy.

Approved by city council in April 2018, the strategy aims to strengthen protections for renters and increase the overall purpose-built rental stock for low to moderate income earners.

But the strategy was developed in alignment with the Surrey Light Rail Transit project, with plans to densify around it.

And LRT is now dead as Surrey's new government begins legwork for a SkyTrain system.

Smart development

City staff told CBC News the affordability plans will more than likely be changed under the new municipal government, likely to coincide with new mayor Doug McCallum's campaign to pause development and introduce 'smart development' guidelines, which emphasize building high-density complexes around SkyTrain stations.

During its campaign, the Safe Surrey Coalition said developers should expect to create some affordable housing options in exchange for the density increases.

While touring a brand new Fusion market rental building in Surrey City Centre on Thursday, McCallum addressed the need for more purpose-built rentals in Surrey.

"We're looking at a change in Surrey where we want to encourage more rentals. There's a huge need, and as our Surrey grows, we need to have a lot more," he said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Policing vs. affordability

But for some housing advocates, developments like Fusion (which rents rooms between $1,400 fo $2,500 per month) won't be what solves the city's affordability crunch.

Organizers at Surrey-based Alliance Against Displacement, which advocates for low-income earners and homeless people, say the city needs more affordable living options for people living in poverty.

The group is particularly critical of the new city government's decision to switch over to a new police force. Member Isabel Krupp says the transition will be costly, and the dollars could be better spent on housing programs.

She says much of the crime in the city stems from a lack of housing options for people living below the poverty line.

"[It's] something that can be resolved through building housing, through building affordable housing that's resident-run, where people feel a sense of security, and safety, and community and control over their lives."

A provincial problem

Efforts are being made at other levels of government to solve Surrey's affordability issues.

As part of the B.C. government's new rental housing plan, $9 million is getting injected into affordable rental housing for seniors, families, and people with disabilities.

Still, when looking at the towering skyscrapers that stand tall in Surrey City Centre, renters like Cassie Skidmore question if things will ever change for the vast majority of renters.

"Prices keep going up but the job wages don't," she said. "They're not making it easier for the people who live here — it's getting harder."