District Hires Experts for Affordable Housing Program

District of Squamish has hired a contractor for an Affordable Housing Service Program Service that would require working with BC Housing and developing housing policy.
The contractor would primarily work with BC Housing in the immediate development and delivery of new affordable housing units, develop an affordable rental housing program, develop partners to construct affordable housing in the district, review affordable housing developments proposals, and work closely with planning department and district real estate department to find land for a municipal supported purpose built rental development.
The district hired M’akola Development Services, who will also work to find funding to support the program, develop a long term housing program, and conduct housing needs assessment so housing type needs can be identified. The contractor hiring is part of the district’s Affordable Housing Task Force, which gives a sense of the worrying situation when it comes to affordable housing. “With real estate prices linked not to local employment and incomes but to the Lower Mainland market, Squamish has realized significant increases in real estate prices through the last two year, the district states. 
“For example, single family home average prices increased from approximately $650,000 to over $900,000, while townhouse average prices increased from approximately $310,000 to over $370,000. At the same time, rental vacancy rates (according to the B.C. Non Profit Housing Association) have decreased substantially. According to their index, the Squamish is one of the least accessible regions in the country for renters.
It is ranked as “severe,” the second-worst category, and falls 252nd out of 284 regions across Canada. Squamish’s rental situation in particular is ranked as “poor,” the third of five categories, and it finishes 444th out of 521 municipalities. The index states that average rent is $1,044 including utility costs.