Affordable housing is a perennial need in Chilliwack.
City of Chilliwack is conducting a survey to determine what the community’s housing needs will be five or 10 years down the road.
Under new provincial legislation, local governments are required to paint a picture of their housing requirements in a formal report submitted by April 2022.
An online survey open until Feb. 7 is asking residents about their current and future housing needs, and city officials are urging people to take a few minutes to complete it.
A $50,000 provincial grant allowed council to hire consulting firm, Urban Matters, to draft the housing needs report as required under the new legislation.
“Feedback from residents and other stakeholders on housing needs and challenges is key in developing the report,” according to the details on the city website. It will help identify the different types of housing needed in the coming years, as well as the challenges faced by residents.
“The report will focus on affordability and demand for all housing types, including government-assisted and market housing,” according to the city website.
Input from the public is being sought through a number of means, including the survey that went live earlier this month, one-on-one interviews with stakeholders to be conducted in late winter, and stakeholder workshops to be scheduled in early spring.
“By identifying the number of housing units needed, by type and price range, the report will provide direction to government, non-profit, and private sectors, in the planning and provision of housing, and help inform local plans, policies and development decisions,” according to the city website.
City staff are aiming to have the Chilliwack housing needs report completed by the end of the summer, using the local housing-related data and information provided by respondents and workshop participants.
More details are at chilliwack.com/housingneeds
READ MORE: More data needed for housing reports
READ MORE: Seniors’ housing needs under study
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