The Banff Housing Corporation is reaching out to Banff residents to get their feedback on housing in the tourist town in a bid to help inform a $54,000 housing study.
A series of focus groups will be held from Feb. 19 to March 1, in which residents will be asked to share their experiences, concerns and ideas about housing in Banff.
“There’s been a large amount of discussion about housing in the community and we want to ensure we’re getting broad, accurate and detailed feedback,” said Councillor Paul Baxter, who is also chairman of BHC’s board of directors.
The BHC commissioned Calgary-based Housing Strategies Inc. to do the study to identify housing needs for the next 10 years, complete an affordability analysis and identify any gaps that may exist.
The study is still under development, but early research shows housing rents are much higher in Banff than other communities such as neighbouring Canmore and Jasper, but still lower than Whistler.
The majority of homes in Banff are rented, which differs from other communities. The average one-bedroom in Banff cost $1,051 in 2012, while in Canmore was $934, Jasper $1,003 and Whistler $1,168.
Data also reveals the fastest growing employment sectors in Banff – food and beverage, hotel guest services, travel and tourism, and housekeeping and cleaning – sees staffers not earning a lot of money.
The average wages for these positions range from $10.80 to $13.87 per hour.
Those working year-round, part-time (20 hours a week) in those fields can earn between $11,230 and $14,425, while year-round, full-time work (40 hours a week) are paid between $22,465 and $28,850 – not including tips.
The focus group will be broken into 12 different sectors: Banff high school, students, business owners/operators, families with children, managers, new Canadians and temporary foreign workers, Parks Canada employees, seniors and people with mobility challenges, singles over 30, youth and young adults under 30 and young couples, with or without children.
For more information and to register for the focus groups, visit banffhousingstudy.com
