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6. Because of their investment, home owners in new subdivisions are against the establishment of any public or governmentâ€"assisted projects in or adjacent to their neighborhood. Because of these and other factors, the housing crunch is very real in Waterloo Region; the time to stop treating it as a "trendy‘‘ problem is now, before it gets out of control. And there are those who believe that time is approachâ€" ing â€" and sooner than many of us think. 3. In the new housing growth areas, especially in the northâ€"west quadrant of Waterloo, there is virtually nothing for the middleâ€"income earner or firstâ€"time home buyer. 4. The inability to close land deals has hit hard several proposed multipleâ€"unit projects in Kâ€"W. Rental construcâ€" tion is at a minimum, and much of the available land is being downâ€"zoned to single family. 5. Anxious to protect a stated "quality" of their neighborhood, _ residents are turning to municipal councils to restrict multipleâ€"unit conversions. On the heels of such dismal stats come the comments from Ontario Housing Minister Chaviva Hosek that fastâ€"growing municipalities must study and adjust their planning policies in terms of land use and housing trends. Indirectly, the minister also insists that individuâ€" als must also lower expectations, especially at the entryâ€" level of home ownership, and that everyone, from planners and builders to community agencies and consumers, must examine the causes of the housing squeeze and work as one to solve it. Hosek may be wellâ€"intentioned in that regard, but don‘t expect miracle solutions to surface here in Waterloo Region. If anything, we are likely more distanced from adequate solutions than a city such as Toronto, where acute problems are forcing the city to deal with housing as a major onâ€"going issue. But should we be? Consider the following: 1. As is the case across the province, rent controls discourage rental riskâ€"taking by wouldâ€"be apartment owners. Even in acknowledging the risks of removing them, this creates a stagnant rental market with virtually no mobility. 2. Supplemental to No. 1, the conversion and building of units as condominium housing has skyrocketed in recent time. Statistics, it is often said, are for losers. If so, it is time to take a moment to commiserate with the "losers" in the rental housing market in this region. Statistics released last week by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. show that in October, Waterloo Region‘s rental vacancy rate dropped to 0.2 per cent, the lowest on record for this area. Translated, that means that of every 1,000 rental units surveyed, only two were available for rent. To paint an even bleaker picture, the 0.2 per cent level is only one tick better than the 0.1 per cent rate of Toronto, the worst in all of Canada. A minimum acceptable level is thought to be in the neighborhood of 3.0 per cent, or 30 available units for every 1,000 surveyed. PAGE 6 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 2, 1987 Address all corresronden Waterioo, Ont. N2J IL7. 7 line 886â€"3021 Waterioo Chronicle office office building (rear entr of the building. Open Mon The crunch lding. Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 roonnninemnnnmomemmnmm mensensen cemmntnmmmmenemmmmmmnmnnnnmmmenmmmmmmssennmemncns cmmmemmmmmnmenennmmmmmmenmmmenmemmnmmmmeneemmeevenne Mlnfllg Editor: Rick Campbell Sales mfi;:..Bill Karges Circulation ger: Greg Cassidy Display Advertising: Helen Smiley, Paula Hummet, Gerry Mattice Classified Advertising: Maureen McNab ffice is located in the Haney entrance, u[;g:r floor). Park Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to rter: Melodee Martinuk lan Kirkby (news) Mark Bryson (sports) Helen Smiley, Paula Humme! Gerry Mattice aney, White law Parking at the rear n. to 5 p.m. â€"It is written Not at all wishing a reâ€"occurence of such a traumatic time around the tree, I recoiled, and lists of recent years have again been host to familiar items â€" golf shirts, balls, and goalie sticks. ‘"Why, uh, yes, if you‘d read my list, you‘d notice I also asked for golf balls, and goalie sticks, if they aren‘t out of your price range." "Arrgh, you are so completely boring..." Fine, I can take criticism as well as the next guy. And since I kept getting dirty stares from everyone at Christmas time, I decided a few years ago to work hard, make a list of desirable yet inexpensive gifts, and forward a copy to each member of my family. Well, they were downright delighted. Too bad I wasn‘t. Do you know what Christmas morning is like, checking off each and every desirable yet inexpensive Christmas gift until all 43 are acâ€" counted for. I was set up for life if I ever wanted to open Rick‘s Party Gags and Gifts. "Oh Rick, don‘t be such a bore, isn‘t there anything else you‘d like besides those stupid golf shirts that make you look even skinnier than you Don‘t tell them, but it is a Fantasy List. You know, when you ask for all the things you‘d love to have, but never expect to get. Not much unusual about that. But what is unusual is my fantasy list is so close to being realistic, family members are going crazy trying to figure out if they should really buy the items on the list. And if you don‘t think that‘s fun, try it yourself. All my life, I‘ve been the "problem" child to buy for, because every year for the first 28 years of my life, I asked for the same things, year in and year out. Golf shirts, because last year‘s have a holeâ€"inâ€" one; golf balls, because while they are made virtually indestructable, the way I hit them they are also irretrievable; and goalie sticks, which I agree are hell to wrap and hide under the tree. And for my stocking? Tube of Smarties, which each year are history before 10:30 Christmas morning brunch is even hinting of hitting the dining room table. Heh, heh, heh. I sure threw a curve at my family with my Christmas wish list this year. But earlier this year, I blew my .cover by selling my goalie equipment. Actually, I haven‘t played hockey for almost five years now, but I‘d still rather 9n ‘"And if you were really bored, you‘d tap three times for the party line." Chronicle Editor Rick Campbell Anything else? Author Roger Caron on the "telephone system‘" in Kingston Eeniwntiary. â€" SEE PAGE 14. All kidding aside, one of the greatest joys my wife and I have each year at Christmas is picking an Angel from the Angel Tree at Westmount Mall (also the King Centre in Kitchener) and purchasing a gift for a youngster who might otherwise have a very bleak Christmas morning. The joy of putting the gift under the Angel Tree alone is well worth the few extra dollars we spend, and the thoughts that dance in our heads are thoughts of joy imagining a young girl or boy unwrapping our gift Christmas morning, and of a parent close by with a tear of happiness in his or her eye. Please, share in that feeling if you are financially able, by choosing an Ange!l from the Angel Tree. Because there truly is no better gift, than the gift of giving. Now, if you saw a list like that, you‘d likely scoff and say: "Anything else, Mr. Hughes?" But the trick is, after each one of those requests, I put a totally boring request like: adjustable wrench, ties, socks, underwear, letterâ€"writing stationery, afterâ€" shave. ask for sticks than for, say, car compasses that tell you you‘re heading north, even though you don‘t have a clue where you are. But alas, family would put up with me no more. ‘‘You‘ve got golf balls and shirts coming out your ears, and you don‘t play hockey anymore, so make a real list for us this year," came the gangâ€"cry. You‘d love it. At the top of my list, a VCR, and not just any VCR, a top of the line model. Then come golf clubs, (take that), a Gant windbreaker that I‘d like to think that with a list like that, I‘d come up lucky on at least one bonus item. I‘ll let you know the week after Christmas. Somehow, though, I have the feeling I‘m being set up for afterâ€"shave across the board, or else a run on goalie sticks... costs more than our monthly mortgage, golf bag, (touche), new camera, power saw unit, videoâ€"cam to tape my golf swing, (it is to die), home computer with multiâ€"sports software package, and subscripâ€" tion to Sports Ilustrated magazine. Can‘t you just see my family trying to figure the list out? VCR, underwear, home computer with sports software, socks, new camera, ties, Videoâ€" Cam, afterâ€"shave. What are they to think?