This is one of several profiles on candidates running in Victoria-Beacon Hill this provincial election
Posted up at Sonia Furstenau's constituency office were several sheets listing all the things she wanted to accomplish for the Cowichan area.
Among them were a new hospital and school, more mental health and addictions services and killing a controversial Shawnigan Lake landfill permit that had spurred her ascent into politics.
After seven years as an MLA up island, all the projects on those sheets have been checked off and the Green Party leader has moved back to her longtime home of Victoria, where she'll be running in the upcoming provincial election.
Returning to the familiarity of her Fairfield neighbourhood means Furstenau gets to provide an affordable place to live for her youngest son as he attends the University of Victoria. Several of her son's university friends are also living at her place and while she jokes that "the house is full of life," it highlights the "dire" situation for young people trying to find affordable housing.
“That feeling of housing insecurity is so big for people in this city right now and people who are renting are so worried about being evicted," the Victoria-Beacon Hill candidate said, pointing to the lack of limits on rents surging between tenancies.
The Greens are pushing for vacancy controls as Furstenau said she's hearing from evicted folks whose units shot up in price after they left. She parallels the situation now to her twenties, when knowing she had a secure, affordable place to live allowed the single mom who was pursuing several degrees to take chances and chase opportunities.
While only offering pieces of the Green Party's wider housing plan, Furstenau said its economical to use vacancy controls to protect the current stock of affordable units while offering government support to maintain those spaces.
She's also calling for a "historic" investment into building thousands of non-market housing units in B.C. annually, wants to tackle the profitization of housing and aims to create conditions that encourage new development while ensuring those projects include a sufficient number of affordable units.
Furstenau said she's been dismayed and disappointed in the provinces response to the "humanitarian crisis" on Pandora Avenue. She wants to see more projects like The Village in Duncan that offer safe housing, health and employment services and community and connection.
"What it's demonstrated is that even people who have been unhoused for a very long time can find a level of stability and ability to get healthy."
Victoria voters she's talked to have expressed frustration about the continued logging of old-growth forests, a lack of public recreation options in the city and government support for oil and gas companies.
The Green leader wants to roll out a robust transit system to save people money and reduce traffic congestion. Furstenau said buses are the low-hanging fruit when it comes to getting commuters to their destination comfortably, quickly and affordably.
Greens don't get elected by accident and voting for her would mean Victoria is represented by someone who's demonstrated they can get things done, Furstenau said.
"Electing me guarantees you will have a hard-working and very proven, effective advocate for the community."
