Project Summary N-040: Housing gaps and needs study update
A technical project summary form outlining the requirement for a housing study update and relevant sections of the Local Government Act.
Project Summary
Priority: Required
Project Name: Housing gaps and needs study update Reference: 1-2-05100-615 CC510-23 Submitted by: Lindsay Chase, Director of Development Services
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Executive Summary | In 2020 the Town completed its first ever Housing Gaps and Needs Study. Legislation requires this work be completed every five years. This project summary ensures that the Town meets its legislative requirements. |
| Business problem and opportunity | Recent changes to the Local Government Act (LGA) place greater emphasis on determining future housing needs. The study must be updated every 5 years. |
| Proposed project objectives | Update the Needs and Gaps Report (to fulfill legislated obligations) and Housing Strategy. |
| Business risks | Not updating the housing needs report means that View Royal will not be in compliance with LGA requirements. Not understanding our current housing situation may result in less than optimum decisions being made about housing. Provision of workforce housing also plays a critical role in recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. |
| Proposed funding | Casino revenue (any approved grant funding would reduce the use of Casino revenue) |
Costs and benefits
| Costs | FY1 | FY2 | FY3 | FY4 | FY5 | 5-year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | 0 | |||||
| Operational | 15,000 | 15,000 | ||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 15,000 | 0 | 0 | 15,000 |
| Benefits | Details |
|---|---|
| Tangible | Better information to make decisions, meet legislative requirements |
| Intangible | Community awareness and buy in for decision making about housing |
Recommendation THAT the Committee recommend the 2022-2026 Financial Plan include an update to the housing gaps and needs study in 2024 to be funded by Casino revenue.
Additional Information
Division 22 – Housing Needs Reports
Definitions for this Division 585.1 (1) In this Division:
"applicable area" means (a) in relation to a municipality, the area of the municipality, (b) in relation to a regional district, the electoral areas in the regional district other than an area within the trust area, and (c) in relation to the trust, the local trust areas;
"local government" includes a local trust committee.
(2) The definitions in section 1 of the Islands Trust Act apply for the purposes of this Division.
Application of this Division 585.11 This Division applies to a local government unless the local government (a) is exempted by regulation, or (b) is in a class of local governments that is exempted by regulation.
Housing needs reports 585.2 A local government must prepare housing needs reports in accordance with this Division.
Collection of housing information 585.21 (1) Subject to the regulations, a local government must collect information in relation to the demand for and supply of housing for the applicable area of the local government for the purpose of preparing a housing needs report.
(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), a local government must collect the following: (a) statistical information about current and projected population; (b) statistical information about household income; (c) information about significant economic sectors; (d) information about currently available housing units and housing units that are anticipated to be available, including information about types of housing units; (e) any other prescribed information.
Content of housing needs report 585.3 A housing needs report must (a) be in a format prescribed by regulation, if any, (b) be based on the information collected under section 585.21, and (c) include the following, subject to the regulations, in relation to the applicable area for the local government: (i) for each type of housing unit, the number of housing units required to meet current housing needs; (ii) for each type of housing unit, the number of housing units required to meet anticipated housing needs for at least the next 5 years; (iii) any other prescribed information.
When and how housing needs report must be received 585.31 (1) A local government must, by resolution, receive housing needs reports in accordance with this section. (2) A local government must receive a housing needs report at a meeting that is open to the public. (3) A local government must receive (a) the first housing needs report no later than 3 years after the date this section comes into force, and (b) every subsequent housing needs report no later than 5 years after the date that the most recent housing needs report was received.
Publication of housing needs report 585.4 As soon as practicable after a local government receives a housing needs report, the local government must publish the housing needs report on an internet site that is (a) maintained by the local government or authorized by the local government to be used for publishing the report, and (b) publicly and freely accessible.
Regulation-making powers 585.41 (1) In relation to this Division, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations referred to in section 41 of the Interpretation Act, including regulations respecting any matter for which regulations are contemplated by this Division.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations as follows: (a) for the purposes of section 585.11 [application of this Division], exempting a local government or a class of local governments from this Division; (b) respecting information that must be collected under section 585.21 [collection of housing information], including, without limitation, in relation to the nature, level of detail and type of information that must be collected and prescribing the periods of time for which the information must be collected; (c) providing that information collected under section 585.21 may be collected only for parts of an applicable area and specifying those parts; (d) prescribing types of housing units; (e) providing that a housing needs report may include the matters described in section 585.3 (c) [content of housing needs report] only for parts of an applicable area and specifying those parts; (f) prescribing the format of a housing needs report; (g) prescribing when a housing needs report must be received by a local government if the local government was, but is no longer, exempt under section 585.11.
(3) In addition to any other variation authority that is specifically provided in this Act, a regulation that may be made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under this section may (a) establish different classes of local governments, parts of an applicable area, matters, circumstances or other things, (b) make different provisions, including exceptions, for different classes referred to in paragraph (a), and (c) make different provisions, including exceptions, for different local governments, parts of an applicable area, matters, circumstances or things.
Explanatory Note
4 Section 1 of the Schedule is amended by adding the following definitions:
"housing information" means the housing information collected under section 585.21 [collection of housing information];
"housing needs report" means a housing needs report within the meaning of Division 22 of Part 14; .