Photo: Curtis Galbraith

By Emily Keller

GRANDE PRAIRIE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

City moving forward with possible housing corporation despite opposition from private industry

Oct 3, 2019 | 5:05 PM

The City of Grande Prairie is working on a possible answer to the current affordable housing situation.

The Infrastructure and Protective Services Committee was presented with the 2020-2030 draft of the Affordable Housing Strategy and the Grande Prairie Community Housing Company Business Plan, including an affordable, municipally run, housing corporation. Both were voted to go before City council.

The decision was not without opposition, with representatives from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and UDI for the region having sent a letter the city expressing a fear that the city might be competing with private industry in the housing market and residential projects.

While Committee chose to push forward with an affordable housing corporation of their own, Mayor Bill Given says it is something that started in 2018, but was held off until now.

“I think that was a good decision at that time. Since then we’ve actually done a housing needs assessment that showed that there are over 3,000 households in core housing need in Grande Prairie, and that we only have 766 units available to support those people, so I think it really demonstrates that the city does need to play a role and that we are behind as a community.”

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The ten-year plan outlined a specific goal for the city to reach, explains Mayor Given.

“That goal in the plan of 359 new units by 2030 is really focused on the city maintaining the amount of affordable housing that we have had historically and keeping it in the same proportion to our growing population. So, it really doesn’t say that all of the sudden there will be over-supply of affordable housing.”

The letter to the city from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and UDI says they have concerns about the lack of consultation with private industry and questioning if the cities desire to cut through the ‘red tape’ would be feasible under the city’s current staffing and infrastructure.

Despite this, Mayor Given says he was happy with the outcome of the committee meeting.

“My view is that the city’s role in affordable and accessible housing has really been stalled since the early 2000’s, when we last saw the big expansion of new products and projects in the area, and I think we see the results of that on our streets this summer, where we really didn’t have appropriate places for many people experiencing housing issues to go.”

Over the summer, the city oversaw the creation of a temporary transition site for those experiencing homelessness and housing issues, which was meant as a solution for the encampments that previously stood in front of Rotary House. The temporary site was taken town this week.

The next city council meeting will happen on October 7.