Taylor completes provincially-mandated housing needs review

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The District of Taylor has completed a provincially-mandated report on housing needs for five and 20 years of population growth. 

In 2023, the provincial government updated requirements surrounding Housing Needs Reports (HNR) and mandated that municipalities complete interim HNRs by January 1st, 2025. 

The District of Taylor’s most recent HNR was completed using data largely from Statistics Canada Census Profiles, municipal data, and other sources, primarily population numbers from 2021.

According to collected data, the population of Taylor has a median age well below the provincial average, with the approximately 1,300 resident population maintaining a median age of 35.6 years old. 

The largest demographic, 32 per cent, is between the ages of 25 and 44, and 88 per cent of residents are under the age of 65. 

Rental rates in 2021 were 22 per cent, and homeownership was 78 per cent. Average household income was below the average of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) at $107,600, and 75 per cent of housing stock was built before 2001. 

The monthly median rent was $782 in 2023, and rental vacancies were down to three per cent in the same year. 

A housing affordability analysis showed that single-parent families and non-family households spent an average of 34 to 47 percent of their income on single detached homes. Couples, by comparison, with or without children, spent an average of less than 30 percent of their income on housing. 

The report considers housing affordable ‘when it costs 30 per cent or less of a household’s income.’

The findings of the HNR indicate that in order to accommodate expected population growth over the next 20 years, 71 new housing units will be required over the next five years, and 273 in the next 20 years. 

The report noted that the district is on its way to addressing this growth with zoning amendments and development initiatives such as the Jarvis subdivision.

Due to the changes made by the provincial government in enacting Bill 44, municipalities must work the estimates regarding 20 years of growth into their Official Community Plan. 

As the interim HNR has now been completed in Taylor, the district must alter the community plan as needed by December 31st, 2025, and must complete a regular update on their housing needs report by December 31st, 2028. 

To view the full presentation, see below.