A new report suggests Nanaimo should be prepared to accommodate more than 7,000 new homes over the next five years.
Under provincial legislation, every five years the city is required to undergo a housing needs assessment, which is used to inform the official community plan. The five-year periods are set to align with the census.
An interim housing needs report this week found that Nanaimo has issued more building permits for residential units than is needed to meet the required housing target order's annual average of 940 units, but the city needs closer to 1,300 new homes per year in order to accommodate population growth.
"The ultimate intention with the [housing needs report] method is really to have a standardized way to estimate the total capacity that official plans should allow, so it's really setting the size of the box, if you will," explained Kevin Green, senior planning analyst with CitySpaces Consulting, at a council meeting Monday, Dec. 16. "It's not requiring the city achieve those units, it's just creating enough room within the planning policy."
In the period of 2021-31, the report indicated an estimated 45 per cent of new homes should be under ownership, accounting for those who can afford $3,125 or more a month on housing costs, and 55 per cent should be rental. Rentals should consist of 25 per cent non-market units with rents from $500-$1,500 per month and nine per cent should be deep-subsidy and supportive units for those experiencing chronic homelessness, at no more than $500 per month.
Green noted that while the city did exceed the number of building permits for residential units needed in 2022, it fell slightly short in 2023 with 1,170 units approved.
Following the presentation, Coun. Ian Thorpe pointed out that the city's role is traditionally limited to encouraging private development or assisting in facilitating supportive housing, not developing housing directly.
"These targets are fine, but they're as much for the [provincial] government as they are for us, so we'll send this report back to them for their information," he said.
Coun. Erin Hemmens added that the province is the largest provider of non-market rentals in the community.
"They've given us targets to meet, but they're their targets to meet," she said.
Dale Lindsay, Nanaimo's chief administrative officer, told councillors that throughout the process, staff members have communicated those points to the province.
"It's great to identify what we already know, we need more below-market, we need more affordable housing units, but it requires senior levels of government to step up," he said, adding that the report gives councillors better data to inform their advocacy work.
The next housing needs report will be completed in 2028, using 2026 census data.
