A shortage of available and affordable rental options appears to be Banff’s most pressing housing need.
That’s according to a 2012 housing needs assessment prepared by Calgary-based Housing Strategies Inc., which was officially presented to council on Monday (July 8).
The $54,250 study determined there’s not enough affordable rental housing, particularly for families, and an emerging undersupply of staff accommodation as Banff’s economy improves and returns to previous levels.
“Banff’s existing housing supply is not meeting the needs of Banff’s current population. Issues with affordability are the most prevalent, indicating a supply and demand imbalance,” wrote the consultants in their report.
Others issues affecting Banff residents, according to the consultants, include overcrowding, homes in need of major repairs and accessibility issues for people with health and mobility limitations.
“This lack of affordability and availability amongst Banff’s housing supply is compelling and, in some cases, even forcing people into overcrowded conditions,” they wrote.
“In some cases, conditions not only far exceed national occupancy standards, they fit the definition of homelessness: sleeping in vehicles, sleeping on couches, sleeping behind couches, sleeping in closets and other haphazard/make-shift ‘bedrooms,’ sleeping in converted garages, and sleeping in other converted spaces never intended to serve as living quarters.”
Council has directed the Banff Housing Corporation (BHC) to begin producing a strategy for implementation of the study’s recommendations as part of its 2014 business planning.
Councillor Stavros Karlos said the housing needs assessment is one of the most important reports council has received, noting it touches on so many areas, including quality of life issues.
“I see this as a red flag and I want to see work starting on this next year… I would be unhappy if the money spent on this report goes unheeded and nothing changes,” he said.
“I am not surprised by it, but it clearly states we do have a problem and we’ve had a problem for the last 100 years. How do we get from here to an implementation strategy?”
Based on the existing number of homes and population and housing projections, the consultants came up with three possible housing shortfall scenarios by 2022.
Depending on whether permanent and temporary population growth is managed, the shortfall could be 240-245 at the low end, to 455 or as high as 725-730 if Parks Canada and Town of Banff fail to manage growth.
One of the study’s key findings shows the annual rental housing vacancy rate in Banff has been 1.2 per cent for the past two years, compared to the provincial average of eight per cent in 2011 and 4.5 per cent in 2012.
Housing Strategies Inc. concluded that seasonal vacancies do occur in Banff, but these vacancies are often short term and really only help to reduce pressures placed on the community’s existing houses.
A healthy rental market typically maintains an ongoing vacancy rate of between three per cent and five per cent, and Banff’s rate indicates there’s not enough rental accommodation.
On top of that, Banff’s non-profit housing providers maintain ongoing wait lists for most of their inventory and this also indicates an undersupply of housing in Banff.
“You would never want a zero vacancy rate and 1.2 per cent is very close to zero,” said Coun. Leslie Taylor.
According to the report, Banff’s rental rates were the second highest among Whistler, Jasper and Canmore in 2012, with Whistler continuing to have the highest rental rates.
However, there has been a recent shift, and current average rents for shared accommodations and bachelor suites are higher in Banff than in Canmore, while current average rents for one-, two- and three- bedroom units are higher in Canmore than they are in Banff.
“Banff and Canmore alternate back and forth over time in terms of which community has the higher housing costs,” state the consultants.
Banff’s changing demographics are leading to more seniors remaining in Banff after they retire, more families with children moving to Banff, and more mature singles moving to Banff.
The consultants said the result is a need for more designated seniors’ housing, especially at the higher levels of care; more self-contained staff accommodations and more larger homes with more bedrooms and storage suitable for families.
“It’s all overwhelming and solutions aren’t easy,” s aid Karlos.
