Olympic Village tenants seek meeting with Coun. Andrea Reimer over energy costs
Tenants at a city-owned property in the Olympic Village are seeking a meeting with Vision Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer over the high costs of energy at their social-housing units
A letter sent by resident James Cooper to Reimer, chair of council’s committee on planning and environment, notes that low-income seniors and people with disabilities on pensions can’t afford to pay the bills being charged by Enerpro Systems Corp., a North Vancouver-based company.
“We have never heard of any seniors housing with residents on fixed incomes having to pay 4 - 5 times the going rate for utilities from a company that we have never heard of,” states the letter, which was copied to two other residents, namely Pam Burge and Dan Caustin.
Below is the complete text of the letter:
August 3, 2011
Andrea Reimer, Councillor,
City of VancouverA Georgia Straight article, in this weeks edition, Suzanne Anton queries Enerpro’s contact at Vancouver’s Olympic Village by Calito Pablo, staff writer highlights the concerns of residents at 80 Walter Hardwick Ave. And reflects concerns about energy costs by strata title owners in surrounding buildings.
http://www.straight.com/article-415051/vancouver/suzanne-anton-queries-c...
The “non market” tenants cannot afford to pay the Enerpro bills. We would like the seniors on fixed incomes to be exempted from these costs (cold water, hot water, and heat). We are happy to pay our Hydro bills, but can’t and won’t pay for these additional bills. We were advised by COHO that our rent would be 30% of our income. We were advised that energy costs would be minimal because of the net zero building with big solar panels on the roof.
We were not properly informed about Enerpro and additional energy costs. Tenants are stressed over the issue of Enerpro metering and billing and have been waiting for two months for some indication from the City and COHO that these energy costs are not going to be passed on to us.
We have heard that the solar panels are not working properly and that any energy produced would go for heating of common areas only and the excess energy would go to the Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NNEU) and the City (COHO) would revive a credit without benefit to the residents.
The low income seniors and disabled people on pensions and BC Benefits can’t afford to subsidize “green energy” and new “net zero” building schemes and deficiencies.
Dan Causton, a resident and retired building inspector, Squamish Lillooet Regional District, talked the City of Vancouver and the Fire Department. Dan spoke to Ron Dyke, Chief Building Inspector, City of Vancouver, about negative pressure in the apartments, ventilation system problems. Negative pressure sucks in outdoor fumes, dust, with windows and doors closed. Fire Inspectors were here and said the “negative pressure” is a hazard.
This building was promoted as “affordable” housing for seniors and the disabled. Most of the “non market” rent tenants are stressed out over the high energy costs (4 to 5 times higher than normal) with some taking sponge baths, and not unpacking for fear of moving.
We have never heard of any seniors housing with residents on fixed incomes having to pay 4 - 5 times the going rate for utilities from a company that we have never heard of. If these utility charges were imposed on the average citizens of Vancouver there would be hell to pay. We are disadvantage people and feel we have unwittingly signed on as test subjects in some kind of experiment. We are people and want to be informed and involved.
We look forward to meeting with you at your earliest convenience at 80 Walter Hardwick, The Village at False Creek (Olympic Village).
Comments
16 Comments
Dennis Shewchuk
Aug 5, 2011 at 12:38pm
This whole Olympic Village thing is nothing but a fraud..The city of Vancouver and the provincial govt should be sued..They lied to the whole world and the people of BC..What is wrong with our system? What are the citys building inspectors responsible for? A contract not lived up to is void..I hope some lawyer takes on a class action suit against them.. And
Ray I
Aug 5, 2011 at 12:46pm
I would like to know exactly what are the dollar amounts being charged? Why doesn't the author ask that obvious question? Does he simply take the word of those he interviews as gospel without even the most basic fact checking? Shoddy journalism!
Martin Dunphy
Aug 5, 2011 at 4:10pm
Ray I:
Far from being an example of "shoddy journalism", as you allege, the reporter took the trouble to highlight two links to previous stories in the above account that, if you click on them, will supply the information you seek.
You have a nice day.
Dear Martin
Aug 5, 2011 at 5:06pm
The previous articles are even less factual and full of misinformation, if Carlito was responsible for the dribble he has been authoring, he would actually learn about the Olympic Village and the systems that are in place. The whole point of the system is USER PAY. Having any residents get a free ride is a complete loss for everyone. If you are accountable for your use you become responsible. I would love to see people get past the emotional response and pay attention to the facts.
Martin Dunphy
Aug 5, 2011 at 6:43pm
Ray I?:
I still hope you have a nice day.
james green
Aug 5, 2011 at 8:47pm
When you have incompetent people running this city and who have control over anything this is the kind of trouble that will occur.
No long term planning, no forecasting, no accountability, no evaluation,no business skills, no oversight until problems happen and then if forced they react.
Don't try to make excuses for the city manager, the mayor on any of the mess at the O Village. They are both to blame for the entire fiasco as is the NPA.
Why?
Aug 6, 2011 at 6:56am
Why do they always put social housing in nice buildings in the middle of the city? Seriously... if these people want to live for free, build the social housing out in Surrey or something. Reserve those units for people who can actually pay.
james green
Aug 6, 2011 at 11:26am
WOW. No one lives for free in social. or subsidized housing.
Usually 30% of the total income of the residents goes to the rent.
Damn. Do some research. Little Mountain was there, for I believe over 50 years and it was the largest social housing project in the city and the provincial government with the blessing of Mr. End Homelessness Robertson, tore the complex down. To date this mayor and council have not built ONE unit of housing in this city though it was Gregor's number one reason for running for mayor. What a bunch of crap he laid on us.
Do you actually believe that the solution to the problem is the location of where housing is built. Come on I know you have more depth than this.
GOT
Aug 6, 2011 at 9:54pm
hmmm...james green? that name rings a bell...wait, I'm thinking of Jim Green, the guy who would have been such an infinitely better mayor than Gregor...except for the confusion about who was Jim Green and who was James Green on the ballot. Funny how that happened.
My question: are the residents of the Olympic Village paying for all the energy costs of all the units, including the as-yet unsold ones, which still use energy even if no one is living in them? If so, this might explain why costs are so high for those who are living there. I assume that energy costs would decline as more people move in and the costs are shared amongst a larger group of owners.
If this is not the case, what's the real story? Back to you, 'james green'.
james green
Aug 7, 2011 at 5:10pm
The real story is this should have been sorted out before before who needed subsidized housing moved in. It is called planning and such other dirty words at city hall as forccasting and being proactive.
Jim Green lost before I ran for mayor and he lost in 2005 because the voters did not want him. Read my book and get the facts.
One of them is that I decided to run for mayor long before Jim Green declared.
Anyway, stick to the point and that's that this is another example of the city's, under Gregor's rule, inability to get anything right.