There’s no addressing any file as challenging as housing without good data.
A regional ‘housing needs study’ is underway in the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) to guide future planning for the FVRD electoral areas, outside the main municipalities in the Fraser Valley.
“Once completed, the Housing Needs Report will be used as a foundation for planning and decision-making for at least the next five years. The final report will be region-wide, while also providing distinct individual snapshots related to each Electoral Area in the FVRD,” according to the FVRD release about the study.
The report will inform Official Community Plans, zoning bylaws, regional growth strategies and more.
All local governments in B.C. are completing similar housing needs assessments, due by April 2022, and every five years thereafter.
To identify current and projected housing needs, local governments have to collect about 50 distinct kinds of data, including: current and projected population numbers; household income, significant economic sectors, as well as “currently available and anticipated housing units.”
The study will be led by CitySpaces Consulting, with key involvement of regional staff and the public. There is the online survey, and other interviews.
The assessment will be underway over the next four months, with a final report scheduled for completion in December 2020. See the project page on the FVRD.ca website for more. A 10-minute survey, open until Oct. 23, will be the primary method of seeking input from FVRD residents.
READ MORE: Chilliwack also conducting housing needs study
READ MORE: Seniors’ housing needs evaluated
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