Planning & Development Report: Housing Gaps and Needs Terms of Reference and Grant Application
Report seeking endorsement for a Housing Gaps and Needs Study and a grant application to fund it.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL
Planning & Development Report
TO: Committee of the Whole DATE: May 6, 2019 FROM: L. Chase, Director of Development Services MEETING DATE: May 14, 2019
Housing Gaps and Needs Terms of Reference and Grant Application
RECOMMENDATIONS:
THAT the Committee recommend to Council:
- THAT Council endorse the Housing Gaps and Needs Study Terms of Reference provided as “Attachment 1” to the Director of Development Services’ May 6, 2019 report entitled “Housing Gaps and Needs Terms of Reference and Grant Application”;
- AND FURTHER THAT Council pass the following resolution: “The Town of View Royal Council supports the current proposed activities and are willing to provide overall grant management with respect to the Town of View Royal’s Housing Gaps and Needs Study.”
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS: I concur with the recommendation.
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE’S COMMENTS: I concur with the recommendation.
PURPOSE OF REPORT: The purpose of this report is to introduce the Terms of Reference for the Housing Gaps and Needs study to Committee and to seek endorsement of a grant application to support the project.
BACKGROUND: The background on this project is two-fold. First, the province has made housing gaps and needs reports a requirement for all local governments under the Local Government Act. The initial report must be completed by 2021 and reports must be completed every 5 years thereafter. As the Town is scheduled to begin an Official Community Plan review in 2020, this information is needed to inform that process.
Secondly, at the time that this item was discussed during budget, staff indicated that if grant funding became available, we would make every effort to apply. Grant funding has become available, with a deadline of May 31, 2019 for the first round of funding. The next round of grants has an application deadline of November 29, 2019 which would mean that this project would not be completed in 2019 if we wait for that round of funding. The maximum grant available for a community of our size is $20,000.
PROPOSAL: A draft terms of reference for a Housing Gaps and Needs Study for the Town is attached (Attachment 1). It meets the Local Government Act requirements and will provide data and options for consideration as we move forward to an OCP review in 2020. The project is to look at gaps and needs across the entire spectrum of housing within the Town:
The project terms of reference include opportunities for public engagement with both the broad community and with stakeholders in the housing industry.
The primary objectives of the study are to: a. Support a strategic approach to land use planning and implementation; b. Identify the current and emerging housing needs within the Town of View Royal; c. Evaluate the housing supply to identify gaps in housing across the housing continuum; d. Compare housing supply with housing demand to determine the ability to meet future needs; and e. Meet the provincial requirements for Housing Needs Reports.
In terms of deliverables, the final report will be in three parts: a. A Housing Indicators Report that contains the relevant and required housing data to meet legislative requirements, including housing mix, tenure, rental prices, housing sales prices, household income, and housing vacancy rates. The report will include an affordability analysis of what residents can afford at 30% and 50% of median income. b. A Consultation Summary Report that provides insights and an overview of the comments received from the community and industry stakeholders who participated in the consultation. c. A Housing Capacity Assessment Report that reflects on the data research and stakeholder input received, evaluate the housing supply and needs against the Housing Continuum and identifies housing issues and gaps in the Town of View Royal. Based on the information collected and analyzed, limitation in the data are identified and recommendations and possible opportunities for improving housing affordability are provided.
Staff have explored participating in a joint project through the CRD however the timing of that project is problematic with results not being available until the end of 2020. This timing impacts the ability of the Town to initiate a review of the OCP in 2020 and conclude this review in 2021.
To be eligible for the grant, the following is required:
- Completed Application Form;
- Detailed project budget;
- Council, Board, or Local Trust Committee resolution, indicating support for the current proposed activities and willingness to provide overall grant management.
By endorsing the attached terms of reference and making a resolution to support the application, we will be in a position to apply for the first round of funding.
BUDGET: In the 2019 Financial Plan Council allocated $40,000 for this project with 100% funding from Casino revenue. If the Town is approved for the maximum $20,000 grant, staff recommends that the total project budget be increased by $5,000 to include a robust community and stakeholder engagement program. Even with this increase, receipt of the grant funding would reduce the draw from Casino revenue by $15,000. Our contributions to the project will include a financial component and staff time, meeting space, and website/communications work.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
THAT the Committee recommend to Council:
- THAT Council endorse the Housing Gaps and Needs Study Terms of Reference provided as “Attachment 1” to the Director of Development Services’ May 6, 2019 report entitled “Housing Gaps and Needs Terms of Reference and Grant Application”;
- AND FURTHER THAT Council pass the following resolution: “The Town of View Royal Council supports the current proposed activities and are willing to provide overall grant management with respect to the Town of View Royal’s Housing Gaps and Needs Study.”
SUBMITTED BY: Lindsay Chase, MCIP, RPP, Director of Development Services
REVIEWED BY: Kim Anema, Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENTS:
- Draft Project Terms of Reference—Housing Gaps and Needs Study
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