TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: November 25, 2024 Report No. DEV-24-057
TO: Council
FROM: James Davison, Manager of Development Services
SUBJECT: Interim Housing Needs Report - Receipt by Council
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That Council receive the Interim Housing Needs Report as drafted in Appendix A; direct staff to post it to the Township's website before January 1, 2025; and amend the existing Housing Needs Assessment with the Interim Housing Needs Assessment as an appendix.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As a result of the 2023 amendments to the Local Government Act under Bill 44, changes were made to the timing and requirements for Housing Needs Reports (HNR). Municipalities and regional districts must now prepare Interim Housing Needs Reports by January 1, 2025, using the Provincially prescribed "HNR Method" to identify the 5- and 20-year projected housing need in their communities. For Esquimalt, the projected 5-year housing need is 1,359 residential units and the projected 20-year housing need is 4,213 residential units. Municipalities must then update their official community plans and zoning bylaws by December 31, 2025, to accommodate the projected number of units.
The Township's Interim Housing Needs Report is attached as Appendix A.
BACKGROUND:
All local governments are required to complete an Interim Housing Needs Report by January 1, 2025. The Interim Housing Needs Report must only include three new, additional items:
1. The number of housing units required to meet current and anticipated need for the next 5 and 20 years, as calculated using the HNR Method provided by the province.
2. A statement about the need for housing in close proximity to transportation infrastructure that supports walking, bicycling, public transit or other alternative forms of transportation; and,
3. A description of the actions taken by the local government, since receiving the most recent Housing Needs Report, to reduce housing needs.
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