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Laneway homes not in pipeline Mayor says city has chosen to focus on density around transit hubs instead Janaya Fuller-Evans
staff reporter
There are no current plans to explore laneway housing as an option for Burnaby. This was council’s message at Monday night’s meeting, when the idea was brought forward by a delegation. Gordon World, who is planning to run with the Burnaby Green Party in the municipal election, spoke to council about the benefits of laneway housing since it was officially approved by Vancouver in July 2009. “The thing that depressed me, assuming I had lane access, is that nothing permits me to build a laneway house in Burnaby,” World told council. He asked the city to look at the idea of introducing laneway housing, mentioning benefits such as eco-density – doubling neighbourhood density by allowing a carriage or laneway house on residential properties – and housing for aging parents, adult children and caregivers. It could be a mortgage helper as well, World added, providing an affordable housing option for those looking to rent a smaller place. Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and Powell River on the Sunshine Coast have introduced or are looking into laneway housing, he pointed out. World acknowledged the city has done a lot to create density. But, in a follow-up phone interview, he said there Density Page 8
Larry Wright/burnaby now
Independent living: Robert Ponto and Troy Lisa Hamilton, who are both legally blind, are concerned about cutbacks to home support. The two Burnaby residents say help with cooking and cleaning is important.
Cuts make life harder for blind Janaya Fuller-Evans
staff reporter
Burnaby resident Troy Lisa Hamilton prefers to be independent as much as she can. But Hamilton, who has been legally blind most of her life, does need assistance with some things, particularly cleaning and cooking. “I’m allergic to different foods,” she explained in a phone interview. “Unfortunately, some foods make me ill.” Hamilton also has irritable bowel syndrome and epilepsy, and she has to be
very careful about what she eats, so she needs help in the kitchen. She is receiving income assistance. “I’m better off having home cooked food, knowing what goes into it,” she said, adding that, while there are food delivery services available for those who need them, these services are not ideal for her. She received six hours of home support services per week through Fraser Health up until 2009, when her hours were cut down to four. Home support services are provided by community health workers and include bathing and washing, dressing,
grooming and other personal needs. Hamilton goes to the grocery store and is able to shop on her own, with some assistance at the store, but she needs help making meals. She has difficulty with the digital parts of her stove, which is fortunately an older model and has mostly manual features, she said. She’s afraid she could see more cuts in the near future, she said. “Basically, they do reviews and want to see people do as much as they can for themselves,” she said. “People like to be independent as much as possible, but (in some areas) they just can’t.”
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