Results from a South Cariboo housing needs assessment on behalf of both the CRD and the District of 100 Mile House were presented at the Cariboo Regional District’s board meeting recently.
It described current and anticipated housing needs based on several face-to-face open houses and an online survey in the four areas of the District of 100 Mile House that the consultant Calibrate Assessment Ltd conducted in 2021.
The Electoral Areas were G (108 Mile, Lac La Hache), H (Forest Grove/Mahood), and L (Interlakes).
Nigel Whitehead, Manager Planning Services for the Cariboo Regional District goes over some of the results.
“It identified some challenges including rapidly increasing house prices, aging rental stock, a shortage of housing availability for downsizing seniors, and a lack of available building trades for new construction.”
Whitehead added it presented a number of recommendations for the CRD and District of 100 Mile House to help increase housing supply and reduce the impacts of an aging population.
“Some of those recommendations would include reviewing zoning bylaws to help reduce barriers for the development of more housing units, considering different forms of housing, looking at developing guides to help homeowners understand what’s needed to build secondary suites, or legalizing existing suites. A lot of these tasks are either short-term or long-term, I know the staff at both the CRD and District of 100 Mile House were already working on some of the quicker recommendations that we can achieve.”
A thorough analysis of other data from Statistics Canada, BC Stats, and BC Assessment was reviewed to assist with key recommendations.
“The District of 100 Mile House is the key service area for the South Cariboo and the demand to reside in this area has increased.” Mayor Mitch Campsall said in a CRD release, “It’s imperative that we have some future solutions to our housing needs for all residents that can be jointly acted upon. This report provides some key findings and some innovative solutions that can assist us in meeting our regional housing challenges.”