Plan Developed in Tandem with Application to the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) for $10 Million
PRINCE RUPERT, OCTOBER 12th, 2023 – As part of an ongoing push to improve housing conditions in Prince Rupert, Prince Rupert City Council adopted a Housing Acceleration Action Plan at Monday night’s Council meeting. The Plan lays out a number of aggressive actions and policy directions to help incentivize new housing development in Prince Rupert across the spectrum for housing. Adoption of the Plan was also a pre-requisite for the City application to the Federal Housing Accelerator Fund through the CMHC, which the City applied to in August for $10 Million that would help to kickstart many of the proposed actions.
“Housing is so critical to our community right now. Our housing stock is old and aging. Our recent homeless count indicates that more and more people cannot find affordable places to live,” said Mayor Herb Pond. “We will do whatever it takes as a municipality to encourage new housing, and this plan lays out some clear steps for us to do that.”
Although some of the actions identified in the plan will rely on funding to be acted on, there are also a number of policy directions that will come at minimal or no cost to the City. This includes pre-zoning lots for potential future housing development; establishing a standardized procedure and incentive package for sale of lots; permitting of detached accessory dwelling units (carriage houses), and reducing parking requirements for housing downtown and in proximity to transit; and, adoption of an interim affordable housing policy following public engagement. It should be noted that some policy changes will still be subject to all relevant public input processes.
Meanwhile, major actions that could be achieved if funding is obtained include pre-development works for City or Prince Rupert Legacy Inc-held lands; development of stock designs for accessory dwelling units to provide to homebuilders; establishment of a peat dump to receive peat removed from developable areas; and waiver of frontage requirements.
This work is in complement to the Interim Housing Strategy, adopted in 2021 which saw several initiatives put into place, as well as the 2022 Housing Needs Assessment. Initiatives adopted since that Strategy was adopted include: revitalization tax exemption bylaw for downtown, placement of several large and small City held lots for sale, completion of a housing needs assessment, changes to the City’s Zoning Bylaw to allow for secondary suites in duplexes and lock off suites in multi-family homes, as well as for housing to built from modular units on permanent foundations. The City also waived development permit and building fees for development that creates new housing units, which will expire this fall but which Council will consider renewing.
For a copy of the full Housing Acceleration Action Plan as well as other local housing initiatives, head to: https://www.princerupert.ca/building-development/community-planning/housing-strategy
MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronika Stewart, Manager of Communications, Engagement and Social Development
Office: (250) 627 0976
Cell: (778) 884 6285
Email: veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca