The situation for renting in Squamish goes from bad to worse, depending on the report.
A rental index from the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association sheds some light on the situation. The association first released its rental housing index for B.C. last year and issued an update for all communities in Canada this fall called the Canadian Rental Housing Index.
According to the index, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is one of the least accessible regions in the country for renters. It is ranked as “severe,” the second-worst category, and falls 252nd out of 284 regions across Canada. The index uses criteria such as overcrowding, affordability, income gaps, bedroom shortfalls and overspending.
Squamish’s renting situation in particular is ranked as “poor,” the third of five categories, and it finishes 444th out of 521 municipalities. The index states that average rent is $1,044 including utility costs.
Jill Atkey, BCNPHA director of research and education, said the association is “just trying to figure out who renters are and whether or not there are any demographic groups that are having any particular challenges or struggles with rental housing.”
Youth, in particular, face cost challenges, as do single mothers, while immigrants often face overcrowding.
The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation’s rental market report for B.C. from spring 2015 put the average cost of a one-bedroom at $778. The CMHC data only include purpose-built rental units – for example, an apartment block – and not secondary rental suites, which tend to be more expensive.
“Housing data is particularly tricky,” Atkey said, adding that gathering data on the secondary rental market is especially difficult.
Even the Canadian Rental Housing Index seems out of date when looking at what rentals are going for in Squamish now and advertised on social media sites. Many single rooms are listed at $700 or $800 a month, while basement or bachelor suites are more likely to be $1,200 or even more. At the same time, there are reports of massive increases for renters whose fixed-term leases expire.
If it seems that rental index information seems out of date, in part is because it relies on census data from 2011. The reason the BCNPHA uses census data is because it includes more housing information from anyone identifying as a renter and presents a more rounded picture of the situation for all renters.
The census only happens every five years, and in 2011, Canadians filled out the less-thorough household survey instead of the longer-form census.
“When you’ve got a particularly dynamic housing market… the situation in 2011 looks nothing like the situation now,” Atkey said. “In most cases, it’s gotten significantly worse.”
The BCPHNA plans to update the housing data following the 2016 census.
Councillor Jason Blackman-Wulff, chair of the housing task force for the District of Squamish, cites a number of factors to explain the rent increases and why it is difficult to get a clear picture on the average costs. He noted the community’s rapid expansion.
“We didn’t grow quite as much in the period leading right up to 2011,” he said. “From 2011 to now, we have grown a lot.”
Blackman-Wulff also said that rental averages can take into account the whole rental spectrum, including renters who have lived in the same place for a long time and are paying less. As well, most of the rentals in Squamish are in the secondary market, making it harder to collect data.
Blackman-Wulff is looking to something like an MLS real estate listing model, which sets a benchmark price for specific types of units based on price and gets updates monthly based on sales activity.
From council’s point of view, he said one of the top priorities is to make sure that the low vacancy rate does not become a chronic problem, which will keep rents climbing.
