Housing Needs Reports
Background
In 2019, legislative requirements took effect requiring municipalities and regional districts in BC to complete Housing Needs Reports (HNRs) by April 2022 and every five years thereafter. A HNR is a tool for local governments to use to inform local plans, policies, and development decisions, including documents such as the Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plans (OCPs). The Zoning Bylaw Review project, and upcoming comprehensive updates to the ACRD Electoral Area OCPs, as well as work on individual Treaty First Nation OCPs and Comprehensive Community Plans, are examples of important documents with regulations and policies that will be informed by the results of the HNRs.
Project Overview
The ACRD HNR project was initiated in November 2020 after receiving grant funding from the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, administered by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), and was completed in December 2021. Recognizing that housing is an issue that crosses jurisdictional boundaries, and recommendations are needed to address housing needs from a regional perspective, the ACRD partnered with member Treaty First Nations.The project included the development of 10 separate HNRs for the six ACRD Electoral Areas (Bamfield, Beaufort, Long Beach, Sproat Lake, Beaver Creek, and Cherry Creek) and four Maa-nulth Treaty First Nations (Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, Uchucklesaht Tribe Government, and Toquaht Nation), sub-regional reports for the Alberni Valley and West Coast regions, and an overall ACRD summary report.
The HNRs are intended to be used by the community and the ACRD in the planning and provision of housing, including informing local plans, policies, and development decisions. The reports are intended to provide information to local housing stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the local context and support decision-making around housing. Housing data will also be used as comparison in future HNRs over the next five years. Continued and future collaboration with all community members, agencies, First Nations, and member municipalities will assist to align community goals with housing needed to address demographic change and population growth in the region.
ACRD & Treaty First Nation Housing Needs Reports (HNRs)
REGIONAL ACRD & TREATY FIRST NATIONS HNR- Regional ACRD HNR (a summary of HNRs for ACRD Electoral Areas and Maa-nulth Treaty First Nations), December 2021 (link to PDF)
BAMFIELD HNR
- Bamfield HNR, July 2021 (link to PDF)
ALBERNI VALLEY ELECTORAL AREAS (B, D, E & F) HNRs
- Sub-regional Alberni Valley Electoral Areas HNR (link to PDF)
- Beaufort Electoral Area 'B' HNR (link to PDF)
- Sproat Lake Electoral Area 'D' HNR (link to PDF)
- Beaver Creek Electoral Area 'E' HNR (link to PDF)
- Cherry Creek Electoral Area 'F' HNR (link to PDF)
WEST COAST (ELECTORAL AREA C) HNRs
- Sub-regional West Coast Housing Need and Demand Study Regional Summary and Report Introduction, November 2021 (link to PDF)
- Long Beach EA HNR, November 2021 (link to PDF)
TREATY FIRST NATIONS HNRs
- Toquaht Nation HNR, November 2021 (available here)
- Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government HNR, November 2021 (available here, under "Housing Reports")
- Uchucklesaht Tribe Government HNR, December 2021 (link to PDF)
- Huu-ay-aht First Nations, December 2021 (link to PDF)
Member Municipality & First Nation Housing Needs Reports
The following reports were developed separately from the ACRD and Treaty First Nations Housing Needs Report Project.- City of Port Alberni, February 2021 (available here)
- District of Tofino (link to come)
- District of Ucluelet, December 2021 (available here)
- Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (link to come)