Call it a report to lay the groundwork to prepare a report, and you’ll have a summary of twenty-five minutes of discussion at Town of Arnprior Council Monday (September 25th).
Ken Foulds, of Re/Fact Consulting outlined his firm’s 80 page missive on the state of housing affordability in the community and point toward some road signs regarding the available flexibility to improve the status quo.
Essentially there’s literally near zero rental units available for those making under 40k a year, and the required minimum household income for basic home ownership in Arnprior is 185 thousand dollars a year.
Foulds says Arnprior has crafted a supportive policy environment to increase both availibililty and affordability, but the Town is only one player in the process.
The Re/Fact consultant says it’s important the we understand the local “housing continuum” is an inventory of choices available- and the more money you have, the greater is the range of those options.
Foulds says not a lot of work has been done on assessing the range of intermediate options for accommodations in the community.
Statistically, the population influx would appear to demand a range of smaller accommodation options versus the square footage behemoths actually being built.
Rental demand is disproportionally greater in a community where rental inventory is low.
Foulds says for this lower income demographic there have been only minor improvements to the available supply.
The mean average income is lower in Arnprior than many of its Renfrew County’s neighbouring communities.
The Re/Fact consultant says his Housing Needs Assessment for Arnprior makes more than a baker’s dozen suggestions.
He says there are a vast range of difficulties and not a lot of solutions suggested.
On the positive side, there’s more will being shown.
Re/Fact Consulting was paid 15 thousand dollars to prepare the report, which Town Council received as information.
Foulds says firming up a specific, town-driven affordable housing strategy is the next step in trying to draw the diverse pieces of any solutions together.
By Rick Stow
