Housing Needs Report updated for the City of Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – An update to the City of Fort St. John’s Interim Housing Needs Report is being considered by Council in relation to the future of housing in the city. 

During the January 6th regular council meeting, the City of Fort St. John reviewed an update to the Interim Housing Needs Report. The report was originally completed in September of 2020, and the update was finalized in late 2024.

According to the City’s accompanying administrative report, the current Official Community Plan for the City of Fort St. John ‘does not provide housing projections or reflect the housing needs of the community.’ Instead, it supports developments within the community ‘in appropriate land use designation.’ 

The plan will be changed in the future to reflect changes in provincial legislation around housing, including rezoning ‘low density zoning’ as a municipality with a population over 5,000. 

In 2023, provincial housing legislation was passed mandating that municipalities and regional districts complete Interim Housing Needs Reports (IHNR) before January 1st, 2025. The reports are also required to include housing targets for five and 20 year time frames, following a standardized method approved by the province in August 2024. 

Other governments across the Peace River region have been releasing their updated reports, including the District of Taylor, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) and the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. 

According to census data collected in 2021 and further research conducted for the report, the average annual population increase from 2006 to 2021 was 1.6 per cent in Fort St. John. Over a 15 year period, the city saw a population increase of 23.3 per cent, more than four times higher than the increase seen throughout the entire PRRD. 

In the update to the report, data from 2021 suggests that median owner household incomes had increased to $128,000, much higher than the PRRD average of $114,000. Median renter household incomes in Fort St. John were also higher than the PRRD average, with Fort St. John renters averaging out to $73,500, while PRRD renters averaged $68,500. 

By studying the current housing market, ongoing construction within the city and population demographics, the update identified gaps in supply for supportive housing and seniors supportive housing. 

The update also identified affordability gaps for monthly housing cost for two and three bedroom housing. This gap, $114 and $332 respectively, was calculated by comparing the median renter household income to the renting market, and assuming that no more than 30 per cent of the household income is being spent on housing. 

In the coming years, the population of the City of Fort St. John is anticipated to decrease over the coming decades. Projections included in the update by BC Stats suggest that while the city has seen a population increase of 5.7 per cent from 2019 to 2024, between 2024 and 2029 the population of the city will decrease by 3.7 per cent. From 2029 to 2044 the same data predicts a further population decline of 0.6 per cent. 

Housing needs in the city are expected to steadily increase in the next several years. In the five years between 2024 and 2029, the city will need between 637 and 738 housing units, with the largest requirement being one bedroom and bachelor apartments. Within the next 20 years, the city is expected to need between 2,548 and 3,457 units, with the largest need coming from one bedroom, bachelor and two bedroom units. 

According to the updated report, the City needs 1,031 new units of housing by 2026 to meet the current population needs, which include units to reduce the extreme core housing need, units to reduce homelessness, and units needed for current household growth. By 2041, the city will need approximately 3,923 units to meet baseline 20 year needs. 

Following the updated housing needs report, the Council accepted the update for information, and will work to make the necessary changes to the Official Community Plan and future projects within the city.