The Blue Mountains council has declared a housing crisis in the community.
Council made the move at its committee of the whole meeting on Aug. 26 after receiving a delegation from a local group studying the housing issues in the town.
Jim Torrance and Janet Findlay of the Blue Mountains Housing Strategy Working Group made a presentation at the meeting about the housing situation in the community. The work group is made up of representatives from the Blue Mountains Ratepayers Association, Institute of Southern Georgian Bay, the Blue Mountains Chamber of Commerce and the development industry.
Torrance told council The Blue Mountains is in a housing crisis.
“We have some substantial challenges that need to be dealt with,” he said. “We clearly need a broader variety of housing.”
Torrance told council that just 13 per cent of residents in the town rent their accommodations. He said based on the working group’s study of the housing needs strategy, 215 affordable units are needed ASAP to meet current needs, with another 1,500 needed by 2046.
He said based on the definition of affordable being a rental price of $1,160 per month and sale price of $483,900, The Blue Mountains has no housing available at those price points.
“It’s indisputable we’re facing a housing crisis,” said Torrance.
In her presentation, Findlay read a lengthy resolution the group was suggesting that council pass, that included declaring a state of emergency over housing.
Members of council were leery of supporting a declaration of a state of emergency, but supported declaring a “housing crisis.”
Chief administrative officer Shawn Everitt told council that a crisis declaration would be “very helpful in the future.”
Everitt said such a declaration would give the town the ability to fast track proposed projects that could enhance the number of affordable housing units in the municipality. It could also assist with the allocation of municipal water and sewage services to projects bringing more affordable units.
“I think using crisis would be just as effective,” Everitt said, noting that a state of emergency usually applies to a severe weather event or pandemic-like situation.
Ultimately, council voted 5-0 in favour of declaring a housing crisis in the town. Mayor Andrea Matrosovs and Coun. Shawn McKinlay were absent.
