Kimberley City Council received a Housing Needs Assessment report last week at their regular meeting. The report was prepared by City Spaces.
Part of the process involved an online survey which an impressive 694 Kimberley residents took part in.
Jada Basi, who presented the report on behalf of City Spaces said it was more than the normal number of responses.
“I was quite impressed. We got so much from that,” she said.
The report looked at every type of housing available in Kimberley from supportive to rental to owned, and identified four priority groups.
Those are seniors, especially those looking to downsize; low and moderate income households; families and people with disabilities.
They found that renters were far more likely to say that their housing was unaffordable than home owners, and that 32 per cent of renters in Kimberley spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, whereas only 11 per cent of owners do.
Seventy-eight per cent of Kimberley’s housing stock is single-detached, much of it originally built for Cominco workers. Four per cent is semi-detached; three per cent row house; two per cent apartment or flat in a duplex, one per cent other single-attached house and one per cent moveable dwelling.
Key considerations in the report are that Kimberley needs a moderate shirt in its housing mix, and should consider development proposals with that in mind. The city should also monitor what is being fully built and occupied.
Mayor Don McCormick said it was a good report, full of information.
“They know what they are doing. Much of what was in there reinforced our thoughts,” he said. “But it provides concrete data, which will allow us to move forward in supporting housing needs.”
He also said it reinforced how badly Kimberley needs rental housing of all kinds.
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carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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