This week’s sign of Estevan’s growth and prosperity, and the challenges associated with it, came during Estevan City Council’s meeting on August 9.

There aren’t any City-owned single-family residential properties for sale. The 70 lots created in the Trojan Subdivision in the last three years have all been gobbled up.

That's not to say there isn't any land available in Estevan to build your dream home. But if you want to purchase from the City, instead of a private developer, then you’ll be out of luck until lots in the next phase of the Dominion Heights subdivision are ready for purchase.

It is good news that all of the lots in Trojan have been purchased. It’s a sign of confidence in the local economy. When a new home is constructed, a lot of people benefit: the family that moves into the house, and the contractors who built the home.

But this is not the first time in which the City has run out of residential land to sell. And it’s not the first time in which people have faced a long wait for the next phase of a subdivision to be developed.

It’s not an indictment on Estevan City Council. It’s certainly not a criticism directed at the overworked staff in Land Development Services. But it is a reflection that Estevan hasn’t always been prepared for the demands of growth in the last four years.

Everybody knows about the shortages in hotel accommodations and rental properties. The new Best Western and the incoming Choice Hotels Suburban Extended Stay will help alleviate some of the demand, but as long as the oil industry is booming, it’s going to be hard for people to find hotel accommodations in Estevan.

The rental shortage won’t be addressed until new apartments are constructed. Smaller properties have helped, but the long-term solution exists only with several apartment buildings that have affordable rental rates.

Developers understandably don’t want to build apartments because apartments don’t bring a guaranteed return on investment. And the high cost of construction makes it nearly impossible to build a quality apartment building while offering reasonable rents.

In the meantime, renters will continue to suffer. Many are living in overpriced accommodations. They don’t have the money for a down payment on a place of their own, and they can’t save money because of their rent.

It is good to see the nice, new condominiums that have popped up around the city, but they don’t present a solution, either, because most people who are renting can’t afford to purchase a condo.

Until there is a significant influx of new rental properties, the labour shortage won’t be solved, either. People want to move to Estevan. But until more apartments are constructed, there are a lot of people who won’t be able to come to Estevan.

Most people in Estevan want to see the city grow. They bristled as the city’s population remained static at around 10,000 for half a century, just like many people around Saskatchewan were frustrated as they watched the province’s population hover around 1 million. So many people knew that Estevan was capable of so much more. And while the city is growing, it’s still capable of being more than just 11,000 or 12,000 people.

Imagine a city with a stable population of 15,000 or even 20,000 people. A city that has the requisite services, amenities and businesses, while maintaining its friendly, small-city atmosphere.

Estevan has that potential, but the housing, accommodation and labour issues need to be resolved for that potential to be fulfilled.