ATHABASCA — A provincial grant approval will help shed more light on housing needs in the Athabasca area and potentially bring more developer attention and dollars to the region; at least that’s the hope of Athabasca Mayor Rob Balay.
Town of Athabasca councillors received word their Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant application for $60,000 to conduct a housing needs assessment was given the green light by the provincial government during their Feb. 4 meeting.
“Well, it’s good news,” said Coun. Darlene Reimer.
The application was submitted in partnership with Athabasca County and the Village of Boyle, meaning the study will analyze current housing availability, affordability, and adequacy, as well as future needs across all three municipalities.
“Hopefully once real data has been professionally collected, we can use that as a tool to give developers the confidence to say, ‘Yes, if I come and choose to invest in this community, I can be assured I will have success because of the data provided,’” said Balay in a Feb. 13 follow-up.
Housing has been a prevalent topic of conversation and problem solving for Balay, the village, county, and the communities at large for years; town council has considered and pursued other housing initiatives and funding streams, such as grants from the Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation in 2023 and the Northern and Regional Economic Development Program, but their most recent application was the first successful one.
Needs assessment studies use economic data, population stats and household projections, as well as interviews with local stakeholders and a look at policy in place to identify gaps in the current market and predict what type of accommodations will be needed in the future.
“An assessment like that is a tool that helps, hopefully, drive development and investment in the region,” said Balay, adding it also gives councils and community initiatives focused on growth and expansion a road map.
“It sets out specifically what’s the first thing we should focus on? Is it seniors housing, is it single-family, is it multi-family? What are the specific goals that we need to tackle first, and what is the next priorities?” said Balay. “It prioritizes the housing needs, which drives the market.”
Balay said the town has yet to receive the funding from the province, but has been in communication with contractors. No solid timeline is in place for the study, but with 2025 an election year, he hopes to see the ball rolling sooner rather than later.
“I would like, if it’s possible, to have the assessment completed prior to this council’s term before it ends, so that gives us a timeline of approximately six months,” said Balay.
