Saanich is moving ahead with plans to amend a bylaw that led to the eviction of seven, unrelated university students.
Next month, council plans to debate a joint motion from Mayor Fred Haynes and Coun. Zac de Vries that would change provisions in Section 5.20 of SaanichB次元官网网址檚 zoning bylaw. It states that the number of B次元官网网址減ersons unrelated by blood or marriageB次元官网网址� in a dwelling B次元官网网址渋ncluding boarders, shall not exceed four.B次元官网网址�
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Saanich cited the section in evicting seven University of Victoria (UVic) students from a residence in the 1800 block of Teakwood Place near the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Gordon Head Road. They have until Jan. 31 to leave the house.
The public first heard of this issue when one of the students Emma Edmonds called the bylaw B次元官网网址渄iscriminatoryB次元官网网址� in calling for its amendment. Edmonds, for her part, said that she was advocating for others, not for herself and her housemates.
B次元官网网址淲hen students say to Saanich B次元官网网址榳e need affordable housingB次元官网网址�, we are dismissed and given a reality check,B次元官网网址� she said during an appearance before council earlier this month. Students are told to move elsewhere, while on the other hand, Saanich readily listens to non-students, who complain about students living in their neighbourhood, according to Edmonds.
This appeal found a receptive audience among members of council including Haynes and de Vries, whose notice of motion will appear on councilB次元官网网址檚 desk Feb. 4.
Of the 18,000 undergraduate students that attend UVic, 78 per cent live off-campus. While some live with their parents or other family members, many are competing with other students and non-students for an increasingly shrinking supply of rental housing with several factors stacked against them.
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