Lack of affordable housing is affecting the efforts to promote business growth
A chronic lack of affordable housing, and related difficulties in promoting business growth, were key issues at an early-October town council meeting in Stettler, Alberta.
The town’s chief administrative office (CAO), Leann Graham wrote a report that forwarded the economic development committee’s recommendation to address the lack of rental housing in the community, according to The Canadian Press.
In the report, the council was recommended to administer a request for proposal (RFP) for the 2024 budget to update the 2020 housing assessment. It also said that it should complete a community housing strategy that involved the following objectives:
- Identify public and private land available for housing, funding tools to leverage partnerships with government and private developers and get more housing built.
- Streamline planning policy and process to allow for diverse housing including affordable housing, rental properties, housing for older adults and seniors that facilitates aging in place, first-time homebuyers, and temporary or emergency housing.
Graham also noted a 2020 housing study that showed there was a need for a wide variety of housing options in the town. It also included an assessment of the town’s role in central Alberta as a hub for rural regions of east central Alberta.
Steven Gerlitz, assistant CAO, stated the economic development committee’s recommendation would need the 2020 housing report to be updated in order to focus on rental properties. The update was estimated to be between $20,000 and $60,000. If this was approved, the RFP would be ready for the council to examine in December.
Mayor Sean Nolls expressed his concern about the issue and stated that low-income housing will be included in the update. Councillor Wayne Smith expressed his scepticism on whether the update, costing $60,000, was necessary.
The mayor and several councillors had pointed out that the 2020 study did not focus on rental properties and said that the updated data may be needed for matters such as bank financing should the town work with developers.
The councillors unanimously passed a resolution that the staff will be preparing the RFP as per the request of the economic development committee.
