I am writing you out of concern for my fellow Islanders. It all started when a very affluent friend of mine noted, “P.E.I. is the best place to live.” Stunned, my mind snapped out a quick question: “For whom?” For affluent people? People to whom much has been given by birth? People within certain portions of our society?
As a recent arrival to P.E.I., I have watched the Island real estate market over the past several years as housing and building prices have skyrocketed and rent has steadily increased. I have also interacted with a lot of people in both the real estate and building industry, who have (understandably) largely met this "growth" with praise. After all, the real estate business – buying, selling, and building homes – is the most important sector of the Canadian economy right now; perhaps even more important than the lobster fishery, oil, lumber or mining. Builders are working, and materials are being bought and sold at unprecedented rates, all of which is critically important. We have spent, and continue to spend, borderline unreasonable amounts of money in support of our economy – all in an effort to survive the pandemic with some kind of economic engine intact. But there is another side to this. Although some segments of the population are weathering the pandemic well, others are not. Remembering that the average annual income for a lone-parent family headed by a woman is $39,100, I wondered: How on earth is someone making $39,000 a year ever going to afford somewhere to live on P.E.I.?
I am a direct descendant of war refugees from Eastern Europe on both sides of my family. So how, over a few generations, was my family able to slowly ascend through the rungs of society? Housing. Owning a home. Working hard, saving money, self-denial in the name of a generational dream, and then pouring those meagre dollars into a home. Home ownership is a critical enabler to improved financial status (and everything that comes with that). But what would have happened if my grandfather or great grandfather were denied that opportunity because of unattainable housing costs? Perpetual rent payments, lost income, and all of that hard work would have been paid to a landlord instead of leveraged as personal equity. Instead of the little guy getting ahead even just a little, the rich would have just gotten a little bit richer.
The numbers do not lie. Rising housing costs combined with stagnant incomes and reduced, stagnant funding for social programs means that people around us right now, as I write this, are being left behind. Future Island surgeons, decorated military veterans, business owners and other valued community members are all being denied their chance. We as an Island need to step up and commit ourselves (and hold our government accountable) to providing affordable housing costs and giving real, tangible opportunities to hard-working Island families – no matter how they look, no matter where they are from, and no matter what opportunity their birth has afforded them.
While real estate agents uncork champagne with wealthy clients celebrating steadily rising home costs, and as builders continue to charge more to build homes (of all types), it’s time for P.E.I. to take more notice. Rather than cheering this "growth" as a universal good for our economy and as progress for P.E.I. (although there is good there, no doubt), maybe it’s time to sit back and take a look around us. Look for those who aren’t cheering, and listen to them. Interview them. Talk with those heroes among us who work in and with our community every day. Where appropriate and whenever possible, amplify their experiences. Make sure that their stories can be seen and heard, so that we can learn how to best help them and, in doing so, learn how to create a P.E.I. that gives opportunities to everyone.
Dr. Josh Mayich is co-owner of The Island Hop Company, a commercial hop operation in Mount Albion, P.E.I. He acknowledges the Ms. Maggie Henry, who helped edit this article.
