AFFORDABLE HOUSINGAFFORDABLE HOUSING

Nelli RichardsonCity Councillor

City of Revelstoke

PRESENTATION TO THE UNION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA MUNICIPALITIES CONFERENCEVANCOUVER, B.C.SEPTEMBER, 2003

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Location of Revelstoke

Community Background

• Settled 1880’s – building of railway

• Transportation (road and rail), Forestry & Mining

• Boom and bust – 20 years of major dam construction on the Columbia River ending 1985

• Population 8,000

Housing StockHousing Stock

(1996 Census Data) (1996 Census Data) Type of Unit Number

 Single detached house 2,070

Semi-detached house 110

Row house 30

Apartment/duplex 525

Movable homes 415

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IDENTIFIED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IDENTIFIED AS AN ISSUE BY MUNICIPALITY AS AN ISSUE BY MUNICIPALITY

OC P (Bylaw 1519)OC P (Bylaw 1519)

Objective:

It is Council's objective to encourage the development of affordable, special needs and rental housing in Revelstoke.

BYLAW 1519 BYLAW 1519 (contd.)(contd.)

Policies1. designate land for a range of residential uses and

densities within the City.

2. implement the City's affordable housing strategy with the support of the provincial Ministry of Housing, Recreation and Consumer Services. The purpose of this strategy was to more accurately assess the need for affordable, special needs and rental housing, and to determine how the City may best respond to these needs.

3. encourage developers to provide affordable and special needs housing as integral components of any residential developments in the City.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IDENTIFIED AS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IDENTIFIED AS AN ISSUE BY COMMUNITY:ISSUE BY COMMUNITY:

REVELSTOKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REVELSTOKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN (2001)ACTION PLAN (2001)

Objectives: • Increase affordable, safe housing for families, for those living

on low incomes and for people living with disabilities by 20 units.

• Continue the housing resource centre with long-term funding (city) 

• Complete an inventory of available low income housing and housing accessible to people with mental and physical disabilities

 

REVELSTOKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REVELSTOKE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN (ACTION PLAN (contd.contd.))

• Establish a municipal standards of maintenance bylaw (city)

• Continue to explore home grown solutions/Habitat for Humanity options for affordable housing 

• Establish a municipal policy on low cost housing. Consider providing tax incentives to support improvement in low cost housing units (city) 

• Develop and implement a secondary suites policy (city)

ROLE OF MUNICIPALITYROLE OF MUNICIPALITY

• REGULATION

• COORDINATION (HOUSING COMMITTEE)

 • WORK WITH NON PROFIT SECTOR

 • WORK WITH LANDLORDS

ROLE OF NON-PROFIT SECTORROLE OF NON-PROFIT SECTOR

• OPERATE HOUSING RESOURCE CENTRE

• PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO RENTERS 

• LIAISE WITH LANDLORDS

NEXT STEPS: ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY NEXT STEPS: ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY

HOUSING COMMITTEEHOUSING COMMITTEE

ISSUE 1• Lack of public awareness of the impact of inadequate

housing; this includes aging, deteriorating housing stock, as well as, units that are not built to code.

ISSUE 2• Lack of second stage (rental) housing for women and

women with children, fleeing abusive situations; and shortage of rental housing for tenants with disabilities.

NEXT STEPS: ISSUES NEXT STEPS: ISSUES (contd.)(contd.)

ISSUE 3• Many low-income tenants spend over 30% of their gross

income on rent; some of them spend more than 50%.

ISSUE 4• High tenant turnover rate; the lack of

adequate/suitable/affordable rental housing may be the reason many low to moderate income tenants spend less than one year in their unit before moving on.

NEXT STEPS: ISSUES NEXT STEPS: ISSUES (contd.)(contd.)

ISSUE 5• 35% of landlords do not formally advertise

vacancies, preferring word of mouth. ISSUE 6

• Lack of broad-based community support for addressing housing issues.ISSUE 7

• More information is needed about the homeless and the homeless at risk in Revelstoke.