It is meant to be a roadmap that will lead to more affordable housing in Squamish.
Eighteen months after it convened, the District’s of Squamish’s Housing Task Force has wrapped up its work with a draft report.
The report includes 10 recommendations the municipality should fulfill in order to expand the housing supply in Squamish to help with the current housing crunch.
It is intended the recommendations will be used to guide housing policy and decisions made by Squamish council in future years, said Coun. Jason Blackman-Wulff, co-chair of the committee.
Included in the recommendations is the hiring of a district housing coordinator, on a time-limited contract, who would oversee all things related to affordable housing in the district and chair a new housing stakeholder group that would meet four times a year to exchange information and discuss opportunities.
Another recommendation is to consider using municipal land for purpose-built non-profit, affordable housing.
A further recommendation is to amend the district’s community amenity contribution policy, which is currently an interim policy, to require an increased percentage allocation of funds from some rezoning into the district’s affordable housing reserves.
The recommendations also take aim at vacation rentals, calling on the district to develop a policy and pursue enforcement of that policy to reduce the number of units in Squamish being used for short-term rentals.
The task force was chaired by councillors Blackman-Wulff and Susan Chapelle and was made up of Squamish Nation, non-profit and private sector members.
“I think we did a good job working on everybody’s various interests,” said committee member and Target Homes’ developer Dave Ransier. “I think it comes down to what council adopts to decide if we have success or not.”
The recommendations are high level, and as a result not quick wins for those scrolling through housing forums looking for a place to live this month, Blackman-Wulff acknowledged.
“I think that it is a scenario where we are going to have to get shovels in the ground next year sometime,” said Blackman-Wulff, adding some of the housing pressure will be relieved with the many units coming available in new developments, at least for those in a mid-level income bracket.
“There’s probably quite a few people right now who are renting who are going to move into a lot of those new townhouses that have been built. So landlords are going to have to find new tenants and it will start to balance a little bit.”
Blackman-Wulff said he knows some in the community were hoping the district could quickly designate a piece of land for a tiny home village, but that isn’t quickly attainable, he said.
“Our only problem is that we are in a flood plain,” he said. “If we weren’t in a flood plain I think we would have been able to do that and it would have been a way easier call. But the infrastructure and the fill that would be needed to do something like that, we just can’t afford it – to do that and then offer rents that people can afford.”
Blackman-Wulff added he was fairly certain some provincial and federal housing funds would be heading Squamish’s way and would help the District of Squamish build affordable housing.
“That may be what it takes to move,” he said. “We have city owned sites that we can use. We have land. We have to do some pre-development work… but there’s no reason why we couldn’t build a 50 to 75-unit project next year.”
The final housing task force report will be presented at an upcoming council meeting, according to Blackman-Wulff.
The Squamish Chief reached out to several members of the Squamish Tenants’ Information Network for comment, but none were able to respond to The Squamish Chief prior to press deadline.
