What is Affordable Housing Canadian Mortgage and Housing

What is “Affordable” Housing? • Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and B. C. Housing “no one should pay more than 30 per cent of household income on housing” • Median after-tax income of a Comox Valley household is: $56, 286 • Rents should be in the $900 -$1400 range • Median after-tax income of a Comox Valley one person household $36, 138 • Rents should be in the $550 -$900 range • Income assistance amount for housing: $375/mo • Consider the transportation costs of living further away from services • Craigslist test: search for a 2 or 3 bedroom unit in the Comox Valley

• Get to know and work with local service agencies who want to build supportive/transitional housing • Be proactive and ‘shovel ready’ for provincial and federal housing funding announcements • Build a range of housing options to suit varying needs of the vulnerable populations

• Design, propose a range of rental housing options such as apartment buildings, coops, secondary suites, seniors rentals etc • Look at densification, proximity to services, and public transportation or bike/walking routes • Support the conversion of older hotels/motels to housing units • Advocate for provincial regulatory change on tiny homes • Work with NIC to build student residences • Develop demolition control policies on existing rentals so as not to lose currental stock

• Help us to advocate for the change of re-zoning requirements and other unnecessary regulations for carriage, laneway, garden suites, minimum unit size requirements, parking requirements etc • Consider densification, proximity to services, and public transportation or bike/walking routes • Respond to community need for a range of housing options including housing co-ops, secondary suites, tiny homes etc • Ensure high density developments reserve a certain % of units for affordable housing, or contribute a similar dollar value to a an affordable housing reserve fund

• Offset NIMBYism by standing up for/working to develop affordable housing initiatives and understanding how they help to strengthen the health of a community • Meet with, develop relationships and provide information with neighbours when developing affordable housing projects • Ask for incentives to offer a wide range of housing solutions

• Comox Valley Transition Society worked with a developer to build a 4 plex of housing downtown Courtenay for women and children fleeing domestic violence • Amethyst House - 2 units of housing at Amethyst House for women transitioning from recovery, with another 4 units proposed for 2018 -19 • Muchulat Construction working on modular housing for 46 units of supportive housing in Courtenay in partnership with BC Housing, City of Courtenay and John Howard Society • M’akola developing Braidwood – 34 units of affordable rental suites in Courtenay in partnership with Wachiay Friendship Centre, City of Courtenay and BC Housing

WORK WITH US! • Attend monthly Coalition meetings • Become an advisory member of the Coalition • Join our mailing list to keep upto-date on local, provincial, and federal funding initiatives to build housing