Affordable Housing Strategy in the Works for P.G.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 @ 3:51 AM
Prince George, B.C.- Driven by the displacement of residents of the Victoria Towers and Meadowbrook apartments when those two building were hit by fire and smoke damage, Prince George is now moving forward to develop an affordable housing strategy.
Chris Bone, (formerly Social Coordinator for the City) says a number of organizations have come together to develop this strategy which will be spearheaded by the Community Development Institute at UNBC. Students will be working on the project to help identify the supply demand (both current and emerging) needs for affordable housing and the City’s capacity to meet the demand.
Councillor Brian Skakun says he has some issues with the municipal government being the one to fill the gaps in affordable housing.
Students on the project will be looking for provincial and federal funding opportunities that would support affordable housing opportunities for the community.
Normally, a project of this type would cost up to $30 thousand dollars in consulting fees, but those fees are non existant as it has become a student "project".
The issue of affordable housing has hit City Council twice in the past couple of weeks with the Metis Housing Society asking for a permissive tax break, and Habitat for Humanity calling on the City to waive fees for their latest housing project.
Comments
Well after noticing the affordable housing at the intersection of 1st and Carney…..
Define the word affordable. Be specific.
Affordable: cost not exceeding 30% of net income…..
There are affordable housing programs out there, Victoria has an excellent program run by Pacifica Housing Association. A joint program between the B.C. Housing Authority and Pacifica Housing allows low income residential based on yearly income mixed with full value housing units for retail residential clients.
The program works great allowing those who are getting back on there feet, single parent families and low income two parent families find nice affordable housing based on there income.
The province provides the property and the Association provides the building and over sees the leasing and maintenance of the units with over sight from the B.C. housing authority.
If the City were to involve themselves in such a venture it would be best if they provided the property and an outside Association provide the building, maintenance and leasing details.
Having the mix of full value leasing and low income leasing helps build a more stable “community” in a town house complex or condominium layout.
Whats this. The City is over laoded with affordabe housing. There are subdivisions whith homes around 200 thusand. How much more affordable can they get.
Cheers
I think PG has an over abundance of affordable housing that is over priced because we have a severe shortage of quality condo/rental housing.
If one looks at any comparable city PG has the absolute worst supply of quality condo/rental units. PG has an over supply of four story split mansion houses, and a decent supply of single detached middle income homes, and a very good supply of rural lifestyle homes… but absolutely nothing for quality urban housing.
If council wanted the city to grow the best place to get started would be to encourage quality condo/rental housing for a workforce that is either transient in that they only want to stay for a few years (hopefully to sell them on the city)… transient in that they work in the oil and gas industry, mining, and other remote northern resource based occupations that have them home only every two weeks… or simply for those looking for the lifestyle.
PG doesn’t get much of the working class immigrant, because PG doesn’t have the suitable housing for new arrivals that require proximity to services, as most new immigrants can’t even get a drivers license for at least a year.
PG has a huge pent up demand for those down sizing, looking for low maintenance housing, and for those that want to spend winters elsewhere.. either elderly, occupation related, or simply worldly that need a home base.
What does PG have that has proximity to services, secure heated under ground parking, and quality concrete construction for noise proof living and long term value retention? We have Panorama Place… and we have low quality wood built buildings removed from services, unsecure parking, and built to last 30-years.
If one loves PG but wants low maintenance quality secure living then they can move to Kamloops, Kelowna, Lower Mainland, or the Island… they don’t even consider Spanish Villa, Victoria Towers, or the like.
If PG had more quality units available it would open up more vacancy for the low income affordable housing IMO.
Comments for this article are closed.