TUMBLER RIDGE, B.C. – The District of Tumbler Ridge has received over $14,000 in provincial funding to support housing needs reporting.
The Province says this will enable the local government to deliver more diverse and affordable homes by determining the kind of homes people in their regions need.
“Now more than ever, people need safe and affordable housing,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “Local governments and First Nations know their communities best, and they are essential partners in addressing the housing crisis.”
Under the housing needs report legislation, all local governments must produce their first housing needs report by April 2022 and every five years after, said a release. Housing needs reports give communities a better understanding of their current and future housing needs, and provide stakeholders, developers and other agencies with access to better information for making housing investment decisions.
“Understanding the specific housing needs in communities is part of working together to continue to build and support healthy and resilient communities throughout B.C., now and into the future.”
In 2018, the Province committed $5 million over three years (2019-21) under the Housing Needs Report Program to help local governments and modern Treaty Nations collect and analyze housing-related data from their communities.
The communities receiving grants totaling nearly $185,000 are:
• Tumbler Ridge ($14,563);
• Nanaimo ($50,000);
• Radium Hot Springs ($15,000);
• Strathcona Regional District, including four electoral areas ($60,000);
• Valemount ($15,000); and
• West Kelowna ($30,000).
