BARRHEAD - Barrhead needs more affordable housing.
That was the gist of a housing needs assessment prepared by Gordon and Associates and commissioned by the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association (BDSHA) late last year.
The study results were not surprising to BDSHA chief administrative officer Tyler Batdorf.
"There are a lot of new people that have come to town, and you see people all the time on social media looking for places to rent," he said. "It's unsurprising because there isn't much available, especially in family housing."
BHSHA is a not-for-profit association that aims to provide affordable housing options for individuals and families in Barrhead, Woodlands County, specifically the Fort Assiniboine area, Swan Hills, and Big Lakes County. The organization runs and/or manages 151 senior lodge units, 78 senior self-contained apartment units, and 16 family units. The vast majority are in Barrhead, except for six self-contained, one-bedroom suites in Fort Assiniboine and eight family single detached homes in Swan Hills.
The association commissioned the document to help update its strategic plan and determine how to proceed after completing the upgrades and expansion of Hillcrest Lodge.
The report also identified that the amount of available assisted housing in the community is heavily skewed in favour of seniors at 93.5 per cent of all units compared to only 16 units for families. Of those 16 family units, it should be noted only eight are in Barrhead; the other eight are in Swan Hills.
There is no subsidized housing for non-senior singles.
Batdorf said that even though the number of subsidized living accommodations heavily favours seniors, the number of available units in Barrhead is quickly disappearing.
He added that during the pandemic and immediately after, BDSHA struggled to fill the newly expanded Hillcrest Lodge.
"We had about 20 vacant units. Now, we are almost full. The only vacant units we have are because they are undergoing repairs," he said, adding it was a good problem to have. "You want waitlists, but you want to ensure everyone is housed too. So, at some point, there will also be a need for more senior housing."
The study also identified a noticeable gap and a real need to expand the number of housing options for smaller households, noting that 72 per cent of the Town of Barrhead households have only one or two people, i.e., singles, childless couples, seniors, or lone parents with one child, yet nearly all the housing stock is three or more bedrooms.
The study notes that 62 per cent of households in the County of Barrhead consist of two people, while only 20 per cent of housing stock has one or two bedrooms.
The study also found that recent new housing activity shows that few purpose-built rental units have been constructed, and the rental vacancy rate is near zero.
"This leaves many smaller households with few options other than to leave the region to meet their housing needs," the study states.
Similarly, it stated that few condominium apartment units are constructed in rural municipalities, leaving few options for people who want to "cash out their equity and downsize.
Recommendations and next steps
The study recommended that the Town of Barrhead work with its county counterparts and the Town of Swan Hills to promote a more diversified housing stock by adopting policies that support higher-density residential development, including secondary suites with more rental options.
The Town of Barrhead council recently attempted to redistrict six municipally owned lots in Beaver Brook Estates from R1 to R3 to address the lack of available housing.
R1-residential allows for low-density housing, such as single-detached dwellings, while R3 provides various housing options, such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and rowhouses. Councillors indefinitely tabled the idea after facing a backlash from nearby residents.
In addition, Batdorf said the study suggests that the association advocates for rental assistance benefit (RAB) programs, such as the one operated by Homeland Housing, a not-for-profit organization providing housing support.
It also recommended that the BDSHA promote the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to help homeowners make needed repairs.
The study estimates that 22 per cent of households live in housing that needs significant repairs.
The study also suggested that the BDSHA construct a 24 to 30-unit apartment building in Barrhead for families and single-person households. The building should have a mix of incomes, with 30 per cent of the units operated at market rents. The remaining 70 per cent would have different rent levels ranging from 15 to 30 per cent below market rents.
Batdorf said the association is willing to consider constructing this type of housing, but the problem is finding suitable land for it.
"There isn't a lot available right now," he said. "You can find little open lots, but that isn't necessarily the best solution. Ideally, we would want to build everything in one spot."
Batdorf also noted that BDSHA had made tentative inquiries with the owners of farmland bordering the municipality, but so far, they have not found anyone willing to sell the needed portion of the property.
He added that the Town of Barrhead has been very supportive. Unfortunately, Batdorf said the municipality cannot do much, reiterating that finding a parcel of land that is services large enough for an affordable housing development is the issue.
"The [province], as part of its Stronger Foundation Plan, is building housing, and there is money available, but we have to find the land to be able to do something," he said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
