Affordable Housing

Housing affordability is a growing challenge experienced by many communities, and the problem is continuing to escalate. Evidence of this can be found in:

Waiting lists of subsidized housing;
Record low vacancy rates;
Increases in homelessness;
Rapidly escalating costs of ownership housing.

This problem is fueled by a number of factors, including: cuts in funding for social housing programs; the inactivity of the private sector in constructing new long term rental housing; and a decline in traditional affordable housing alternatives (e.g. rooming houses).

In the past, most municipalities simply reacted to the policies and funding programs initiated by senior levels of government to create affordable housing. However, the landscape of responsibilities for ensuring the availability of affordable housing has changed and the shift focuses more responsibility onto municipalities.

Housing affordability has not been a traditional concern in Kimberley over the past years. After the mine closure in 2001, houses were cheap, and rentals were plentiful. Until very recently, Kimberley’s real estate remained one of the bargains in the East Kootenays. However, given the cost of housing in other East Kootenay communities and the development interest in Kimberley, house prices have been rising steadily and the number of rental units available has decreased. Experiences from other communities indicate that a proactive approach towards an affordable housing strategy benefits the entire community and ensures ongoing local sustainability.

Taking Action on Affordable Housing

City Council recognizes the value and benefit for all citizens to have access to adequate and suitable housing and is taking action to develop a strategy to address affordable housing issues in the community. An Affordable Housing Committee was created to initiate and facilitate the process of developing a plan:

Purpose of the Committee:
• To provide Council with advice and recommendations with respect to achieving an affordable housing plan and its implementation;
• To represent the community interests in the development of an affordable housing plan and ongoing strategies.

Duties of the Committee:
The committee will provide advice and recommendations in the following areas as referred by Council:

• Develop an affordable housing definition, vision, and strategic objectives on achieving the vision;
• Facilitate and oversee the process of conducting a housing needs assessment, including securing funding and hiring a consultant and assisting with the public consultation process;
• Act as the public liaison between the community and City Council regarding affordable housing issues and concerns;
• Raise awareness and level of understanding of affordable housing issues in Kimberley with the community, land developers and businesses.

Committee Progress & Activities to-date:
The Kimberley City Council has adopted the following resolutions brought forward by the Kimberley Affordable Housing Committee to date:

• Affordable Housing Definition: Affordable housing adequately suits the needs of low and moderate income households at costs below those generally found in the Kimberley market. It may take a number of forms that exist along a continuum – from emergency shelters, to transitional housing, to non-market rental (also known as social or subsidized housing), to formal and informal rental and ending with affordable home ownership.

• Council will defer consideration of any further strata conversion proposals that might decrease Kimberley’s existing rental stock until adoption of an affordable housing plan.

• Following the recent completion of the Kimberley Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, the committee is busy continuing their work to develop a vision and action strategy to address affordable housing needs in the community. It is anticipated that the action strategy will be presented to Council in the fall of 2009.

Click on Link below for Kimberley’s Needs Assessment 2009

Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

• The Committee is looking for volunteer members that can contribute time, energy and ideas to develop the affordable housing vision and action strategy.

Click on link below for the Affordable Housing Committee Application

Affordable Housing Committee Application

For more information contact the City of Kimberley Planning Services at (250) 427-5311 or info@city.kimberley.bc.ca.