*Files from the Regional District of central Kootenay (RDCK)*

Regional Housing Needs Assessment

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! PLEASE RESPOND TO OUR ON-LINE SURVEY HERE

The Regional District of Central Kootenay is initiating a Regional Housing Needs Assessment in collaboration with eight (8) of its member Municipalities and eleven (11) rural Electoral Areas.

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment is the first phase in developing a Regional Housing Action Plan. It is also a relatively recent requirement under the Local Government Statutes (Housing Needs Reports) Amendment Act, 2018 which requires Local Governments to develop a Housing Needs Report every five years to better inform and understand the kind of housing most needed in their communities by identifying existing and projected gaps in housing supply.

Housing needs should be assessed with consideration of equity and inclusivity recognizing that diverse housing options are required to meet the changing socio-economic and demographic needs of each participating community. Housing should be safe, affordable, accessible and representative of individual needs to move across, not just along, the traditional housing continuum. This includes emergency and transitional shelter, transitional housing, supportive housing, subsidized housing, rental housing (both primary and secondary market) and ownership housing (fee simple, strata ownership or shared equity ownership).

WHAT IS A HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

All housing needs reports are required to contain the following, based on an analysis of the information collected:

• Statements about key areas of local need,including: affordable housing, rental housing, special needs housing, seniors housing, family housing, and shelters and housing for people at risk of homelessness
• The number of housing units required to meet current and anticipated housing needs for at least the next five years, by housing type. Housing ‘type’ is defined as dwelling size (number of bedrooms)
• The number and percentage of households in core housing need and extreme core housing need

PROJECT TIMELINE

This initiative is anticipated to begin in November 2019 and conclude in August 2020.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

If you would like more information on this initiative or wish to be included in a contact list for outreach activities, please contact the Project Manager, Dana Hawkins at (250) 352-8153 or by email at [email protected].

THANK YOU TO OUR PROJECT SUPPORTERS

Union of British Columbia Municipalities, City of Nelson, City of Castlegar, Town of Creston, Villages of Kaslo, Nakusp, New Denver, Silverton, Slocan and Salmo, Electoral Areas A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K, Yaqan Nukiy, Interior Health Authority, Canada Mortgage and Housing Association, Nelson Committee on Homelessness, Nelson CARES, Slocan Valley Senior’s Housing Society, Selkirk College Rural Development Institute and Cover Architecture