North Perth Launches Affordable Housing Plan of Action, Invites Impact Stories and Ideas Input

Working with many community partners, the Municipality of North Perth is pleased to launch its Affordable Housing Plan of Action, continuing local efforts towards increasing the attainability and affordability of housing.

Housing insecurity continues to be an issue in the municipality, and this 3-stage Plan of Action intends to both collect key stories and information and engage community thinking – including both housing consumers and providers – in creating local solutions.

In the first stage of the Plan of Action, launching today, housing consumers (those using or seeking housing) are encouraged to share their stories and concerns through the Municipality’s online engagement platform, Your Say North Perth. 

Amongst the considerations in this Plan of Action effort, the Municipality acknowledges that provincial legislation (Bill 108 – More Homes, More Choice Act) made changes to the Planning Act which requires municipalities to allow the creation of two residential units in a single detached, semi-detached and townhouse dwelling. This Act further introduced the potential for an additional residential unit in a building or structure accessory to one of these dwellings. The provisions build on the previous framework to expand the options municipalities have for providing a range of housing options within their communities.

Additional Dwelling Units (ADU) are one of the most affordable and rapidly-gained forms of rental housing, and can be popular for a variety of different reasons. Property owners are provided the opportunity to add a new source of income, and families can keep family members close by and affordably housed, while creating more privacy than living in the same unit. ADUs provide benefits to homeowners, municipalities, housing consumers and the wider community and increase the supply and range of rental accommodation.

“We have heard from a number of people – including those who currently live in North Perth and those who are attracted by the employment opportunities here – that affordable or even attainable housing is scarce,” said North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg. “This is flagging our orderly growth, and compromising our labour market in increasingly worrisome ways. With this Plan of Action, we want to be more rigorous in collecting information of impact – and I’m pleased to formally invite residents and potential residents to share their stories and ideas for action so that Council may consider its next actions.”

To determine the need and interest level in ADUs, and to explore additional affordable housing innovations, the Plan of Action includes a 3-stage process:

Stage 1: Creating and distributing consultation invitations that provide for input using multiple channels (Web-based, utilizing Your Say North Perth and social media; hard copies available at the Library, the Municipal Office and from the Building Department to share with developers/builders).

Stage 2: Serving Notice of Intent - Housing Summit, including providing public access to survey results and a consultation report, with interpretations, for community discussion.

Stage 3: Executing a Housing Summit Meeting that aims to identify further options for action and collaboration. (Local stakeholders [i.e., real estate companies, developers, builders, interested private home owners] will be invited to attend. The Housing Summit Meeting will provide interested stakeholders with information on ADUs, report survey findings, and seek input to identify future actions that can formulate part of the next steps in an Affordable Housing Plan.) 

Noted Mayor Kasenberg, “To reach our goal of suitable housing for all, a great deal of community collaboration and goodwill is needed. Participation is required from a diverse range of housing consumers and housing developers, who are willing to discuss the challenges of housing affordability in North Perth and share their ideas and trepidations. We continue to focus our efforts on permanent solutions that will positively impact members of the community facing housing insecurity.”

To contribute to the Affordable Housing Plan of Action, complete the survey by visiting: https://yoursaynorthperth.ca/affordable-housing.

For more information, please contact:

Kriss Snell, Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of North Perth
P: 519-292-2040
E: ksnell@northperth.ca

Attachments

Affordable Housing Survey Launch