Your morning commute just got interesting
Morning from the Wheat City — here's what's driving Brandon today.
So, you know how we're always talking about the need for more affordable housing here in Brandon? It's a constant challenge, especially with our population projected to hit 80,000 by 2040. Well, down the Trans-Canada in Winnipeg, some folks in the West Broadway neighbourhood are taking a different approach that really got me thinking. They're trying to buy up land and buildings to keep them affordable long-term, essentially taking housing off the speculative market.
It's a novel concept, using a new ownership structure to prevent properties from being flipped for profit, which drives prices up for everyone else. They want to create a community land trust model. Imagine if we could implement something like that here, especially around the university district or near the Maple Leaf Foods plant where housing demand is always high. Our housing starts have been decent, but the gap between available affordable units and what people can actually afford is still significant.
### What This Means for Brandon
* **Long-Term Affordability:** This model aims to permanently keep housing prices stable, insulating them from market fluctuations. * **Community Control:** Residents would have more say in how properties are developed and maintained. * **Preventing Speculation:** It stops investors from buying properties just to sit on them or flip them quickly for profit, which often pushes out long-term residents.
We've got our own challenges with a tight rental market and rising home prices. Average rents for a two-bedroom apartment in Brandon are up, and with our sustained economic growth – that $2.9 billion economy isn't slowing down – we need creative solutions. Seeing West Broadway residents take this kind of initiative makes you wonder what unique solutions we could cook up right here in Brandon. Maybe something for those older homes just off 18th Street, or even around the Corral Centre. It’s certainly a conversation worth having.
Marcus Fehr, MiTL Sports Desk, Brandon.
Catch the full breakdown with the crew over on the morning show, live at mornings.live.