Affordable Housing

Access to safe, adequate and affordable housing is fundamental to the physical, economic and social well being of individuals, families and communities. In order to meet the City’s needs around affordable housing, the City recently completed an Affordable Housing Strategy (2009), an update on the Housing Strategy (1996) that no longer reflected community need, housing market conditions or current opportunities.

Definition of Affordable Housing                                             Affordable housing is homeownership and rental housing for low and moderate income households[1] that does not cost a household more than 30 percent of its gross income (before-tax). [2]

Affordable Housing Continuum
The affordable housing continuum (Figure 1) represents the spectrum of housing types that are affordable to low and moderate income households.


 

Target Groups for Affordable Housing
While housing affordability is important for all New Westminster residents, six population groups have been identified as priority groups who are particularly affected by housing issues in the City. 

•  Target Groups 

The City’s Role
Ensuring residents have access to a variety of housing choices that are affordable requires the participation of many groups: all levels of government, service agencies, and the non-profit and private sectors.  The City plays an important role in the following ways:

• Setting Policy — Clear, consistently applied policies express the City’s commitment to affordable/attainable housing.
• Establishing Regulations — Effective use of regulatory authority on attainable homeownership and rental housing creates housing choice for residents.
• Using Resources — Strategic use of City resources can leverage an increased supply of  affordable/ attainable housing.
• Entering into Partnerships — Collaboration with the business and non-profit communities and Provincial agencies will lead to creative solutions to existing and emerging housing issues.
• Advocating — A commitment to ongoing leadership on housing.
• Promoting Quality Design and Innovation — Focus on sustainable, energy conserving, and attractive design and development of new and conventional housing forms that will reduce maintenance costs and increase neighbourhood acceptability.

This new Strategy, adopted by Council on February 8, 2010, will enable the City to develop policies and tools that will promote housing affordability to meet the full range of incomes and needs in the City.  The Strategy focuses primarily on permanent housing, placing a greater emphasis on the City of New Westminster’s role as a facilitator in the development of affordable housing through the private market.

• Affordable Housing Strategy 2010
• Affordable Housing Strategy - May 4, 2009 Presentation (pdf)

• May 4, 2009 Policy Report - Review of Draft Affordable Housing Strategy
• January 19, 2009 Information Report - Draft Affordable Housing Strategy - Upcoming Open House
• Backgrounder 1 - Trends and statistical data on the population and housing in New Westminster
• Backgrounder 2 - Qualitative research findings indentifying a broad range of issues around housing affordability and accessibility in New Westminster
• October 20, 2008 Policy Report - Update on Affordable Housing Strategy background work  

[1] Households with incomes at or below the median income.
[2] Thirty percent is a widely accepted measure used by the CMHC and other institutions to determine housing affordability. For the purposes of this strategy it is being applied to both homeowners and renters.