Affordable housing
WHO NEEDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WE ALL DO !!
(Both the affluent retiree, and the service worker as well) |
"TOGETHER WE CAN: AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIES THAT WORK"
Parksville-Qualicum KAIROS and the Oceanside Coalition for Strong Communities hosted a conference on 23rd October 2007 to explore the options available to plan for affordable housing and to examine strategies of other B.C. communities. There is a definite need the hundreds of caregivers, service providers, and small business employees needed to keep our communities thriving and our local businesses supplied with staff. TOGETHER WE CAN: Affordable Housing Strategies That Work will explore options for building capacity, examine experiences of other local jurisdictions, and seek to engage private sector and NGO forces in providing housing stock in co-operation with local, regional and senior governments.
It will provide a venue for members of the community to meet and network to explore partnership and capacity building opportunities for initiating concrete housing projects
Conference Proceedings
Hope lies in several areas: first, communities who want affordable housing find the political will to support housing for all community members. Governments, starting with community councils, supported by other levels of government, develop policies and bylaws to make it happen. Creative thinking redefines land use, enabling communities to care for those of all ages and abilities in affordable housing. When citizens, politicians, bureaucracy, developers and business people work together with a common goal, housing gets built. Together we can.
Eighty people attended the forum sponsored by Parksville Qualicum KAIROS, an ecumenical social justice group in Oceanside, and by the Oceanside Coalition for Strong Communities. The goal was to start a community action group on affordable housing in this area.
In the morning, the participants listened to and asked questions of several speakers who presented different aspects of the dilemma facing many communities today. The afternoon consisted of round-table discussions on themes that emerged from the morning. Later, in an open session, each group reported its ideas, suggestions and questions, and finally, at the end of the day, a small group of about twenty people stayed behind to begin forming the new action group.
Jim Spinelli, from BC Non Profit Housing Association set the stage by outlining BCNPA's role in supporting a high standard of affordable housing in BC. Unfortunately, the current outlook is worse than in many years -- there has been no new market rental housing in the last twenty years. Many rental units have or are converting to condominiums, resulting in increased rent for fewer renters. Secondary suites, a possible source of affordable housing, are scarcer than required. Many homes in Parksville and Qualicum Beach are single floor ranchers, and city bylaws have prevented easy conversion to secondary suites. Long waiting lists prevent early and immediate access to homes for low-income earners, disabled people, seniors, service workers, and even middle income earners as vacancy rates are very low and the purchase price of new homes has accelerated.
Spinelli's good news lay in changing attitudes to affordable housing. Some cities now recognize the need to offer affordable housing. Nanaimo has changed its bylaws to allow secondary suites. Three projects for disabled people, low income families, and low income singles are now in the works for Nanaimo. Nanaimo Affordable Housing Society (NAHS) advocates for affordable housing and works with city council to bring about changes.
Next in the proceedings, a panel consisting of town planners summarized challenges and opportunities in their areas.
Gayle Jackson, of Parksville, talked about Parksville's goal of using the challenge of incentives for developers for zoning, density, and provision of secondary suites, although she allowed that the council has not had much success so far. Difficulties arise from the proliferation of rancher homes, an aging population who may not want to be landlords of secondary suites, and developers whose schemes do not include homes with suites. Bylaws preclude renting secondary suites unless the owner is in residence. Good news in Parksville is that there is more seniors' housing being built, three new projects are considering affordable housing, and there is a will in council to tell developers to include affordable housing.
Paul Butler, of Qualicum Beach related that the Official Community Plan of 2005 has a goal of affordable housing. Right now there is little available. Council is increasing density allowances if developers contribute to QB's Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. It is also looking at working affordable housing into rezoning applications, studying secondary suite program. Currently, a discussion is occurring on using donated land for Habitat for Humanities. Offering workers affordable housing is becoming a high priority and an immediate challenge; eg., The Gardens, a new seniors' residence in Qualicum, has 220 unites and needs between 150-200 workers.
Geoff Garbutt, RDN, spoke of the goal of the regional district to preserve rural areas, and the challenges of how to put new rules into place to keep rural areas with the intense pressure to build. How does the RDN offer affordable housing as opposed to the cost of servicing new units? If mobile homes are often located away from centres, how is this affordable? What is the responsibility of governments under pressure to rezone for recreation or different land uses. Housing is not necessarily covered under RDN legislation? He suggested rezoning to provide affordable housing policies; e.g. to allow higher density homes, like duplexes or triplexes, multi-level, conversion of resource lands, taking land out of the TFL areas.
Doug Bromage, of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association related his thoughts on the role of the private sector in creating affordable housing. Bromage operates Insight Development Group in Nanaimo. He suggested that public-private partnerships work to provide affordable housing. He threw out challenges to the participants, asking for people to start thinking more creatively about definitions of a single family and its housing needs, secondary suites, and what they could look like, setbacks on lots and use of land. "Break down the box," he said, urging participants to think of new and creative ways to use land that would have incentives for developers.
A second panel explained the role of senior governments.
Andy Orr explained the role of BC Housing.
He noted the grants available to upgrade facilities for people to live independently. He also pointed out other initiatives including community partnerships.
Debra Yip, of CMHC related its purpose, which is to provide housing finance, assisted housing and several other programs that benefit the goal of affordable housing.
Roger Butcher, of BCHousing Authority, explained the challenge of making people aware of the assistance available.
A third panel offered ideas of how other communities have dealt with the challenge of providing affordable housing.
We heard ideas from Port Alberni, and from Henry Kamphoff, of the Capital Regional District.
Kamphoff indicated that the CRD has an affordable housing document, developed initiatives since 1997, including the Regional Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
In his luncheon address, Randy Lambright, from the City of Kamloops, detailed the longstanding and effective support that the city provides for affordable housing. He summarized by saying that city councils should proactively facilitate affordable housing and file managers must take on more responsibility, working more closely with non-profit sector to achieve housing goals. The Kamloops City Council policy statement can be found here.
In the afternoon, roundtable groups discussed several topics that arose from the morning's presentations, which led to reporting out the ideas later in the day. Topics included examining options for single family housing in Oceanside, finding ways of informing the public of grants and funding benefits available for affordable housing, studying the role of the private sector and business in developing and supporting affordable housing, looking at strategies for building support for options of affordable housing in Oceanside, working on strategies to ensure that governments support affordable housing, examining alternative forms of ownership of affordable housing, and looking at the potential for employer-generated housing in Oceanside.
In summary, affordable housing is a definite problem in Oceanside. From all predictions, it will only get worse as building and land costs rise, rental accommodation increases in price and decreases in units, and our aging community requires more support workers. Qualicum Beach and Parksville represent Canada's two communities with the highest average age.
There are many challenges. Governments have reduced support for affordable housing in the last twenty years. In fact, federal annual funding has decreased by more than $700 million annually since 1993. Increasing population in BC, land-use conflicts, and increasing building costs contribute to the challenges of providing affordable housing. How are initiatives for affordable housing supported?
Governments, starting with community councils, supported by other levels of government, develop policies and bylaws to make it happen.
Hope lies in several areas: first, communities who want affordable housing find the political will to support housing for all community members. Governments, starting with community councils, supported by other levels of government, develop policies and bylaws to make it happen. Creative thinking redefines land use, enabling communities to care for those of all ages and abilities in affordable housing. When citizens, politicians, bureaucracy, developers and business people work together with a common goal, housing gets built.
Together we can!
Please also view the following PDF Documents:
Other information on affordable housing
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