Defining Need: What Constitutes Affordable and Cost-Effective Housing? Matt Thomson M. Thomson Consulting & Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society

Overview What do we mean when we say affordable? What’s already available on the Coast? What is the need, and how do we determine where to focus our efforts?

What is affordability? According to CMHC: “A household is said to be in core housing need if its housing falls below at least one of the adequacy, affordability or suitability, standards and it would have to spend 30% or more of its total before-tax income to pay the median rent of alternative local housing that is acceptable (meets all three housing standards). Adequate housing are reported by their residents as not requiring any major repairs. Affordable dwellings costs less than 30% of total before-tax household income. Suitable housing has enough bedrooms for the size and make-up of resident households, according to National Occupancy Standard (NOS) requirements.”

What is Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Spectrum Emergency shelters Transitional Housing Special Needs/Supportive Housing Affordable Rental Housing Affordable Home Ownership Market Rental Home Ownership Emergency and Supportive Housing Non-Market Housing Market Housing Emergency and supportive housing are housing programs that include short-term and long-term housing, that are largely or wholly subsidized through government housing programs (e.g. BC Housing, Community Living BC, health authorities, etc.), and often include some form of supportive programming (e.g. meals, activities, associated services, etc.) Non-market housing includes both rental and ownership programs intended to serve individuals and families who experience challenges entering the rental or ownership markets; this type of housing can be supported through government funding (e.g. BC Housing’s rental subsidy programs) or may be entirely driven by local municipal or non-profit housing organizations Market housing represents the owned and rented housing available through the conventional housing market

Housing on the Sunshine Coast Emergency and Supportive Housing Population Served Lead and Partner Agencies Name of Housing Community Number of Units Homeless St. Hilda’s Anglican Church   Sunshine Coast Community Services Society Community service and faith groups Extreme Weather Emergency Shelter (October-March) Sechelt 8 beds Women and children fleeing abuse Yew Transition House Thyme Second Stage Housing 7 beds 4 units Individuals with developmental disabilities Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living Group homes 10 staffed residential beds, 3 respite beds, in 3 staffed residential facilities

Housing on the Sunshine Coast Emergency and Supportive Housing Population Served Lead and Partner Agencies Name of Housing Community Number of Units Individuals with mental illness Vancouver Coastal Health   Sunshine Coast Community Services Society Housing with Mental Health Supports Independent living with some associated programs Coast-wide Sechelt 9 beds 23 Supported Independent Living subsidies 8 units Frail seniors Good Samaritan Society Lions Housing Society Kiwanis Christenson Village Greenecourt Seniors Housing  Kiwanis Village Gibsons 120 units/beds 22 units 42 units

Housing on the Sunshine Coast Non-Market Housing Population Served Lead and Partner Agencies Name of Housing Community Number of Units Independent seniors Lions Housing Society   BC Housing Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) Greenecourt Seniors Housing Scattered site Sechelt Coast-wide 117 units 91 subsidies Families and individuals with disabilities Rental Assistance Subsidy Coast Housing Society Mountainview Court 92 subsidies 21 family units 2 units for individuals with disabilities Aboriginal families and individuals M’akola Housing Society 20 units Individuals with developmental disabilities Sunshine Coast Assocation for Community Living Independent living 4 units

Who can’t afford their current housing? Source: Statistics Canada National Household Survey, 2011

Housing Cost Source: BC Housing; Thomson, 2014; limited rental market survey

Income determines affordability Household Type Median Income* Affordable Housing Payment Less than median income Couples with children $90,868 $2,272 $72,695 $1,817 Single-parents $56,130 $1,403 $44,904 $1,123 Non-family households $28,794 $720 $23,035 $576 *Sechelt had a high global non-response rate, which can impact income statistics. Source: Statistics Canada National Household Survey, 2011

What’s the affordability gap? Household Type Affordable Housing Payment (Median Income) Affordability Gap Affordable Housing Payment (Less than Median) Couples with children (three-bedroom) $2,272 $356 $1,817 ($99) Single-parents (two-bedroom) $1,403 ($357) $1,123 ($637) Non-family households (One-bedroom) $720 ($180) $576 ($324)

Where are we going? Core Housing Need Projections for Renters Source: BC Non-Profit Housing Association, 2012

Conclusions In Sechelt, single-parents and individual renters tend to be at highest risk of housing affordability issues-even when earning median income for their household type Rents appear to be increasing dramatically (in Sechelt and Coast-wide), while vacancy rates drop There are also a high number of owners who are experiencing affordable housing issues Core housing need is projected to climb to over 1,000 renter households on the Sunshine Coast by 2021