A meeting with the representative of the company that holds my IRA took me to offices in one of the buildings on Vancouver’s new waterfront a few days ago. I was reminded of how excited I was when the project started, how terrific the walking trail would be, a place for new restaurants, a place for the people of the community to inhabit and enjoy. A project that has become so huge and modern as to awe the Portland-based adviser with whom I met.
Oddly enough, that morning’s Columbian carried yet another article about the lack of affordable housing in our community. As I walked to the parking lot and looked around, I couldn’t help but see the irony in the shiny new buildings.
While the trail remains, to walk it one must pay to park, even on the weekends. And even with my fairly decent retirement income, no way could I afford to live in those buildings, nor could most of my friends and acquaintances.
And thus, my delight turned to sadness, knowing I would continue to read articles in the newspaper about how my community lacks affordable housing even as all this new construction continued on Vancouver’s waterfront.
