At the July 9 2018 Regular Council meeting, the members of the Affordable Housing Committee were announced.

The nine members from the public include:

A. Moore
B. Santowski
D. Eve
E. Lewers
L. Clark
L. Deutscher
N. Logins
S. Thompson
S. Ringma

Members also include Councillor Ebony Logins and Mayor Maja Tait (ex-officio, non-voting).

The initial meeting will be scheduled for Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 1:00pm in Council Chambers, with subsequent meetings to be scheduled at the first committee meeting.

The Affordable Housing Committee will provide guidance on affordable housing matter in Sooke and act as a liaison between various organizations, individuals and the District with respect to housing provisions.

The responsibilities of the committee (from the Terms of Reference) are as follows

Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

• Analyze other attainable and affordable housing strategies and incorporate aspects of those into a strategy specific to the needs and desires of Sooke.
• Collect data on rental housing in the District of Sooke and surrounding areas
• Hear delegations with respect to affordable housing.
• Prepare an Affordable Housing Needs Assessment report to Council based on the findings of the committee, including recommendations.

Affordable Housing Strategy

• Based on local knowledge and data, review an Affordable Housing definition for consideration of Council.
• Develop an Affordable Housing Strategy report for consideration of Council.

Regulatory Changes

• Recommend amendments to the zoning bylaw to reduce barriers and provide opportunities for affordable housing.
• Make recommendations to Council with respect to affordable housing funding opportunities, amenity fund contributions, policy amendments, design approvals, etc.

The Committee was conceived by resolution November 27, 2017 and adopted by Council on  June 11, 2018.

Related

• Affordable rental homes on the way in Sooke (244 units) and Langford (250 units)
• New affordable homes, child care spaces on the way for people in Langford
• Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the annual allowable rent increase will be 2.5%.
• Letter: Compassion is needed, as many with homes are also one paycheque away from being homeless
• Rapid response to homelessness sees 2,000 modular homes built in BC
• Homelessness in Sooke: It exists
• Members of Affordable Housing Committee appointed
• District seeks membership for the Affordable Housing Committee
• Over 2,000 rental units coming to the CRD, with some attention to affordability
• Breaking ground on new rental homes for people in Colwood
• Victoria: Planned supportive short-term housing for Indigenous women facing homelessness
• 2018 Budget: Housing advocates welcome historic investments in affordable housing
• Housing strategy calls for action to diversify supply, manage demand & prevent homelessness
• Anxiety over housing, homelessness and poverty rises in British Columbia
• Council to consider bylaw amendment in January, allowing mobile homes on residential lots
• More than 1,000 modular homes now confirmed throughout B.C.
• Message from the Mayor: Affordable housing has been addressed for years (media is late to the party), and she wants to hear your ideas
• CTV covers the housing-boom/housing-crisis irony in Sooke
• Housing challenges for Sooke construction workers now; affordability committee can happen in Feb or March 2018
• National Housing Day solicits hope for affordable housing within the next decade
• Council expresses discomfort with the usage of the term, “affordable housing”
• From fires to fentanyl, from homes to homelessness, Horgan’s UBCM keynote covered the gamut
• Second co-housing project in Sooke deemed affordable, good to go
• Throne Speech: Affordability, improved services and economy are top BC priorities
• Victoria housing crisis threatens family unity
• Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness survey
• Ten townhouses coming to Ayre Road
• Regular Council meeting overview June 26
• Sooke identified as second most affordable suburban municipality outside of Vancouver
• LETTER: Self-serving rezoning shifts Sooke away from a Waterfront town centre