The zero vacancy rate in the Energy City does not speak well for this community's current situation. Apartment vacancy rates that have been at .2 or .6 per cent for well over two years, doesn't say much for our immediate past either.
The low wage labour force in Estevan have been patient, if not understanding, about the situation as it has existed for the past few years. They have been able to make-do on most fronts, taking innovative measures in an effort to find a place where they can sleep safely and prepare meals.
In fact, the entire community has been pretty patient on this file. We've heard from the major developers and business proponents that the market will eventually find itself leveling off and that sometime soon, but still down the road, the lower cost housing units will find their way into the city's accommodation inventory.
It's all about supply and demand and profits we have been told. And right now the demand apparently is for condominiums and homes in the $300,000 to $800,000 range, and that's where the better profit margins are found.
Those market forces have spoken and they haven't been satisfied yet, so the building of the mammoths continues while the more modest projects are put on hold, and their engineering designs collect dust.
We understand this scenario. It's about business and it's about being big and being able to get bigger, faster and the demands to do this are huge. If the market isn't being accommodated by Developer A, then Developer B will be glad to do it.
Unfortunately, there are no Developers C, D, E and F.
Even if they might be well intended, there is a labour shortage in the construction industry.
We could be snarky and suggest that this is because there are no affordable accommodations in the city that would attract a professional builder but we know that's not entirely true. There is a shortage of skilled tradesmen and women everywhere in Western Canada. We're not alone when it comes to this topic. It's just that we've been singled out as the worst-case city, and it's humiliating.
We are doing precious little to encourage the labour force to make their home here when the best we can offer is zero possibility of finding a room for less than $1,000 a month, let alone an actual apartment.
What we do find most frustrating is that nobody appears to be, because no body needs to be, in charge of doing something about it.
Developers don't need to build low-cost housing. They'll try to do some when time allows it, but that hasn't happened yet, and with no clear long-term incentives on the table, why would they?
Municipal governments can't get involved and they don't have the expertise anyway.
Provincial governments might have some well-hidden expertise, but no resolve to dive into this messy mix. They've made that clear with their stance on rent control or other not-so-innovative recommendations coming from political foes. They have their huge majority and are the fair-haired child right now. They don't want to mess with success with an intervention plan, even though it's clear something is definitely required.
The federal government could get more actively involved, but again there is no need to, no incentives and no pressure being exerted on them to do the right thing. They have bigger fish to fry than worrying about regional housing issues that might only be temporary. Spending time on those kinds of issues doesn't get you re-elected.
So here we sit at zero in the Energy City, wondering if somebody or some group with a charitable heart is willing to step up and do something beyond lip service.
It is a sad commentary though when we ask potential newcomers to please choose Estevan but don't expect to find a place to stay once you get here unless you can bring a home with you.
