that lets voters compare what housing is needed with what has been approved and constructed in 160 municipalities across B.C.Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7 a.m., Monday to Friday.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc.
The site allows users to search data from Statistics Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, as well as each municipality’s own housing needs assessment. Users can compare information such as the percentage of homeowners versus renters and the number of units delivered, from market to affordable.
On Vancouver Island, the need for affordable housing has also been a focus of council’s attention in Duncan, where there is a homelessness crisis. Currently, 45 per cent of the population rents, while 55 per cent owns. However, over the past seven years, only one unit of market rental housing has been built.
Atkey said the province is trying to determine if sufficient data is being gathered. Communities look at population growth to make projections for new homes, but this approach doesn’t allow for seeing “baked-in chronic undersupply,” she said.Gary Wilson, president and chair for the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, added that what the current data may not easily show is the correlation between the Indigenous populations and homelessness in those communities.