With the lack of affordable housing in British Columbia, some people choose to live in RVs… either the motorhome type, or the camper-style RV.
The problem is that other than for a few exceptions, permanent, year-round living in an RV is not allowed.
Nanaimo City Council has asked for a report on how that could be changed.
While most municipalities allow temporary RV living in some circumstances, Nanaimo Councilor Zeni Maartman would like to see permanent RV housing allowed.
“People right now, if you’re building a house in the city, you can live in your (RV) until your house is built. Why can it not be used if you have another family member wanting to live on the property,” she says.
Maartman notes it’s been over a decade since the city brought in rules to allow for carriage homes. Since then, the need for affordable housing has become more urgent. “So I’m looking at is this another avenue that would provide affordable housing to people, meeting certain safety regulations, and on certain sizes of property.”
City staff are expected to provide a progress report next week, but it could be a month or more before any recommendations are put forward. In the meantime, Maartman says the Regional District of Nanaimo will be approached to also consider allowing permanent living in RVs.
Maartman says there is no plan to allow people to live in motorhomes on city streets. She also recognizes that there is no availability at any of the local mobile home or RV parks. She says a good first step would be to allow RV living on private property that has appropriate services.
