A number of houses with a courtyard
Housing

Rural Housing Survey 3: The key to addressing rural housing needs 

Sandy MacKay, of M’akola Development Services, presented the Electoral Areas Housing needs Report to the SRD Board on Wednesday. 

See: Rural Housing Survey 1: unaffordable rents, vacant houses, Airbnbs

“Collectively working with federal provincial entities and advocating for more non-market housing, will be key to reducing the gap between what people can afford and what is available in your markets.  Non-market housing tends to be dedicated, affordable, and appropriate.  It usually takes on the form of something called secured affordable housing, which is secured at an affordable rate in perpetuity, typically funded by senior government and operated by a non-profit,” he explained.

Preparing the ground for a foundation – Photo by Roy L Hales

“There’s not a ton you can do to support those uses at a local level, but what you can do is make it easier to develop them when the opportunities do come.”

  • He pointed to the need to educate communities, to lessen the stigma that is often connected to affordable housing. 
  • Partnerships need to be forged between the various levels of government and First Nations. 
  • Priority should be given to development by non-profits when land becomes available.

Director Claire Moglove responded, “In Campbell River we had a report from our planning department about a month ago, indicating that based on our housing needs reports, we’re building way more housing than theoretically we need. It’s because we’re not building the right kind of housing!  The housing needs report identifies the kind of housing that is required or needed in the community based on the demographics, based on the research.  so the question is how do you get developers to  build the kind of housing we need? ” 

Map of the Strathcona Regional District
The four Electoral Areas of the SRD: (A) Kyuquot/Nooka-Sayward; (B) Cortes Island; (C) Discovery Islands – Mainland Inlets; (D) Oyster Bay – Bute Inlet – Courtesy SRD website

 This was the second time that the four Regional Directors heard Mackay’s presentation, which was also given at their June 15 committee meeting.  

Click here to see Rural Housing Survey 2: Directors first responses

Regional Director Jim Abram said, “Thank you Sandy, for your presentation a second time. I enjoyed it both times and you did a wonderful job, I think, of presenting everything that we needed to hear, except for one thing.”

He began, “I’ve always been a supporter of reducing the number of Airbnbs and increasing the number of stand alone rental housing to take care of all of these issues you’re talking about. Workers coming from off island, small families, and aging in place, et cetera, et cetera.”  

Some of the landlords and homeowners in his district had been phoning Abram.

“(Renters) have a lot of rights, more than the people that own the house. (Landlords) can’t raise the rents. They can’t evict people for certain reasons, et cetera, et cetera.  Anyway, it’s just another piece that I think maybe needs to be looked at here. Rental housing is being discouraged at the level where people are most willing to do it. They’re actually willing to set aside rental housing on their property, but yet they see these other models where it didn’t work and they’re withdrawing their support for it.”

Assembling prefabricated units for an affordable housing project in Quathiaski Cove – Photo courtesy the Quadra Island Seniors Housing Society

Some key points gleaned from Mackay’s presenation:

  • 40% of the population are seniors and that number is increasing. There is a need to house them.
  • Some seniors are supporting family; others are concerned that their children will not be able to find an affordable home.
  • 45% of the renters who responded to the survey said they were paying higher rents than they could really afford. 
  • This is esecially true on Cortes and Quadra Islands, where there are large seasonal populations.
  • The number of short term rentals has increased from153 to 625 since 2016. 70% of them are in rural areas. 
  • The gap between house prices and what people can afford is greatest on Cortes Island. It is almost as bad on Quadra Island. Area A is the most affordable Electoral Area.
  • Many homes within the SRD are reaching the end of their lifespan. The cost of replacing them is highest on Cortes and Quadra Islands.   

Top image credit: The Seniors Village on Cortes Island – Photo by Roy L Hales

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