FORT ST JAMES HOUSING BACKGROUND REPORT AND HOUSING STRATEGY
Prepared by: Terra Housing Cooper Planning and Development Consultants February 2014
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The consultants wish to thank the District of Fort St. James for their support in undertaking the study and Councillor Joan Burdeniuk for providing helpful information about the community. Kevin Crook, Chief Administrative Officer, provided insight into the attributes of the community and the challenges it faces. District staff also provided significant contributions and guidance in completing this report. Emily Colombo, Economic Development Officer at the District of Fort St. James oversaw the completion of the work and Olivia McMahon, Local Government Management Intern, collected and provided much of the data and information relied upon in preparing the report.
The District of Fort St. James Housing Committee members also provided helpful input into the preparation of the study. Members include:
• Riley Willick – District of Fort St. James Council Member and Committee Chair • Emily Colombo – District of Fort St. James Economic Development Officer • Ann McCormick – Pioneer Place Chair • Elizabeth Hoy – Bayfield Apartments • Brandi Hanterman – Fireweed Society • Carmen Wheatley – Public Notary • Evelyn Montgomery – Lakeshore Realty • Fred Sam – Nak’azdli First Nation Chief • Leona Thomas – Nak’azdli First Nation • Gina Bulloch – Thompson Creek Metals • Kandace Kerr – Social Health Research Team • Lionel VanConant – Viking Ventures Property Management • Peter Valk – Fort St. James Housing Co-op • Ralph Pierre – Tl’az’ten First Nation Chief • Tammy Lyell – Community Futures Stuart Nechako • Laura Chernowski – T’loh Forest Products
The District of Fort St. James wishes to acknowledge the funding provided by CMHC through the SEED Funding Program that enabled the Housing Study and Strategy to be undertaken.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Housing Background Report Summary
The District of Fort St. James, located on the Stuart Lake Highway/27 N in the Regional District of Bulkely-Nechako, is adjacent to the Nak’azdli Indian Reserve (IR No.1) to the south, the Williams Prairie Meadow Reserve (IR No. 1A) to the northwest and the Utza Nahounli Creek Reserve to the west. The community was established in 1806 by Simon Fraser, James MacDougall, John Stuart and North West Company fur traders. The community has pride in being the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in British Columbia.
The local economy is resource-oriented. Forest industries constitute the leading sector followed by mining, agriculture and tourism. In the Fort St. James and Nak’azdli area are two large-scale sawmills, two value-added mills, one mine and a commercial greenhouse. The area is also home to a dozen logging companies that support the forestry industry. Recent developments also include a small high technology sector. Residents of Fort St. James have recognized the economic issues in their community and have been working towards revitalizing all sectors of the economy including forestry.
The small town character of Fort St. James is reflected in the residential neighbourhoods within the District that surround the downtown Commercial Core. The close proximity of the neighbourhoods to the Commercial Core enhances the walkability between the different parts of the community. In addition, the neighbourhoods have excellent access to parks and recreation facilities, commercial and institutional uses.
Historically, the region has had a fluctuating growth rate typical of resource-based communities. The population of the Fort St. James area was 1,691 in 2011, of whom about one quarter identify as being of First Nations origins. In general, the community of Fort St. James is a very young community with the largest 5-year cohort being children aged 5 to 9 years. The next largest group is youth, aged 15 to 19 years. However, the senior population is growing at the fastest rate. The nature of family households has changed significantly with married couple families declining in number and common law families and single parent families increasing.
Housing in Fort St. James is predominately single family residential. There are some multi-family dwellings in the forms of apartments and condominiums that provide the District with some affordable housing options. The housing stock is aging and 78% of dwellings in Fort St. James were constructed prior to 1986.
The need for future housing in Fort St. James will be driven by demographic characteristics and economic growth. The change in the nature of the population has implications for housing in that a greater diversity of housing forms is needed to serve the greater variety of households. For example, an increase in two person and single person households indicates the need for smaller housing types like condos or apartments. Affordable housing is needed for families and a greater diversity in housing options for seniors is needed. The implications of the employment profile for Fort St. James suggest that affordability of housing is important especially for those without educational certification and with high school certification.
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There is a generation of “mobile seniors”, those residents who wish to live closer to the town center or no longer require a large home but do not necessarily require assisted living. These residents will increase the demand for housing types such as strata development or rancher style homes in Fort St. James. Including these alternative forms of housing within the District of Fort St. James is an important part of providing places to live for people at different stages of their lives. Otherwise, locals may move in search of communities that offer housing specific to their needs.
The Official Community Plan projections indicate very modest need for new development. The District has approximately 115 hectares of undeveloped land in Fort St. James, which is more than enough urban residential land to accommodate the additional 300 residents projected for Fort St. James.
Housing Issues and Recommendations
The District of Fort St. James recognizes that all residents of the municipality should have access to suitable and appropriate housing with necessary supports to serve the needs of a diverse population. In summary the housing issues identified in developing this report include:
• Attracting Developers and Promoting Fort St. James • Addressing Housing Needs o Seniors Housing o Aboriginal Housing o Maintaining and Increasing the Supply of Rental Housing o Affordable Housing for First-Time Buyers o Emergency Housing • Planning and Financial • Monitoring.
The tools and recommended actions to address affordable housing issues in Fort St. James include:
Tools Recommended Action Official Community Plan Provisions Additional policies needed to support affordable housing Inclusionary zoning Draft strategy and time frame for implementation Density bonus Draft report and time frame for implementation Housing agreements Draft agreement Permissive tax exemptions Review for applicability Zoning variances Develop OCP policies to permit variances to support affordable housing Acquisition and Renovation (adaptive reuse) Undertake study of District facilities and adjacent lands Expedited Municipal Approval Process Develop policy and implement DCC By-Law Draft for Infill development Rental conversion bylaws Develop by-laws Adaptable Design Guidelines Develop guidelines Infill housing Undertake study to document development potential Secondary Suites Consider waiving fees for secondary suites and incentivize procedures Land Banking Develop inventory of potential development sites Housing Fund Develop policy and implementation plan
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Housing Strategy
The District should establish priorities for addressing the issues and undertake specific actions to deliver housing in response to emerging economic conditions. This may include proposals ranging from specific policies and protocols to the creation of new corporate entities. To aid in this discussion the following strategies are proposed:
1. Undertake an assessment of the institutional infrastructure in place within the District and within community organizations to deal with housing issues. 2. Promote development opportunities in Fort St. James and encourage senior government and industry cooperation to support projects that complement Fort St. James’s housing objectives. 3. Work in partnership to develop needed housing. 4. Maintain a municipal planning system that supports the delivery of an adequate supply of affordable housing and is responsive to changing demand. 5. Maintain a municipal financial system that supports the delivery of an adequate supply of affordable housing and is responsive to changing demand, including developing a land bank and housing reserve. 6. Facilitate diversity in housing forms and prices to deliver a range of affordable housing options for all residents, by offering incentives to develop needed housing and supporting the retention and delivery of adequate supplies of private rental properties. 7. Monitor the housing situation and regularly evaluate the need for adjustments to the Strategy.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
1.0 INTRODUCTION 7 1.1 Background 1.2 Purpose and Objectives 1.3 Methodology
2.0 HOUSING POLICY CONTEXT 8 2.1 Official Community Plan 2.2 Zoning 2.3 Development Policy 2.4 Secondary Suites 2.5 Regional Context 2.6 Federal and Provincial Context
3.0 HOUSING SITUATION 16 3.1 Location and Context 3.2 Population and Demographic Information 3.3 Homeless Population 3.4 Economic Development 3.5 Housing Data 3.6 Income 3.7 Future Growth
4.0 HOUSING INVENTORY 29 4.1 Existing Market 4.2 Existing Non-Market 4.3 Non- Market Opportunity 4.4 Market Opportunity 4.5 Municipal Opportunity 4.6 Nak’azdli Band Opportunity
5.0 MUNICIPAL ROLES & TOOLS 35 5.1 Roles 5.2 Tools
6.0 STRATEGY 45 6.1 Assess Institutional infrastructure 6.2 Promoting development opportunities 6.3 Working in partnership with the Aboriginal community 6.4 Working in partnership to develop housing for seniors 6.5 Maintaining a municipal planning system that supports affordable housing 6.6 Maintaining a municipal financial system that supports affordable housing 6.7 Facilitating diversity in housing forms and prices 6.8 Monitoring the implementation of the Housing Strategy
7.0 REFERENCES 54
8.0 APPENDIX 1: HOUSING FORM DEFINITIONS - FORT ST JAMES ZONING BY-LAW 55
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The District of Fort St. James is concerned about the provision of housing for residents and desires to develop a strategy that integrates policies and opportunities with programs and resources available from the community, industry and government. Terra Housing Consultants, in association with Cooper Planning and Development Consultants, was retained to complete a review of information and develop the strategy.
Emily Colombo, Economic Development Officer at the District of Fort St. James, oversaw the completion of the work and Olivia McMahon, Local Government Management Intern, collected and provided much of the data and information relied upon in preparing the report.
The Community Open House held on December 5, 2013, provided an opportunity for resident input into the development of the strategy.
1.2 Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this report is to present background information and data on the housing situation in Fort St. James and to present a draft Housing Strategy that responds to challenges faced by Fort St. James.
The two main objectives of this report are to:
• Provide an understanding the current situation, existing policies, issues, opportunities and possible tools to be used to address the housing challenges.
• Provide a Housing Strategy that Integrates policies and opportunities with programs and resources available from the community, the province, the federal government and private organizations that promote appropriate development of housing in Fort St. James.
1.3 Methodology
In addressing these objectives, demographic and other relevant data provided by District staff were reviewed. Fort St. James staff provided the following information:
• Demographic and economic data and information • Real estate data • An inventory of existing housing projects, service providers and initiatives • Neighbourhood descriptions • Descriptions of development opportunities • Photographs and mapping.
The Terra Team provided research on:
• Zoning for housing • Housing agreements • Housing incentives
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• Policy and program initiatives • Issues specific to Fort St. James obtained through interviews • Housing strategies and policies • Options for the municipal role in addressing housing issues.
Key community contacts were interviewed and they provided insights into the housing situation and challenges in Fort St. James. Interviews were held with:
• Pete Valk - Seniors Housing Coop • Leona Thomas - Housing Coordinator, Nak'azdli First Nation • Joan Burdeniuk - Councillor • Kevin Crook - District Office CAO.
2. HOUSING POLICY CONTEXT
2.1 Official Community Plan1
The Official Community Plan for Fort St. James was completed in 2010. It provides a general statement of the broad objectives and policies of the local government respecting the form and character of existing and proposed land use and servicing requirements in Fort St. James.
Among other community objectives, the Community Plan provides direction on the approximate location, amount, type and density of residential development required to meet anticipated housing needs over a period of at least 5 years. It also includes the housing policies of the local government respecting affordable housing, rental housing and special needs housing. The Community Plan also informs senior government on the interests of the community and encourages federal and provincial actions that are consistent with the Plan.
Council’s vision includes:
• Attracting investment • Diversifying the economy • Providing an appropriately light designated industrial land base • Improving development permit guidelines • Protecting the environment • Focusing on the importance of concrete methods of implementing the OCP.
The Community vision focuses on:
• Capitalizing on local assets • Enhancing community pride • Celebrating diversity • Promoting a safe, healthy and friendly community and • Creating opportunities and options for economic diversification, employment, recreation, education and housing.
1 The District of Fort St. James Official Community Plan (2010) is the source of information for this section of the report.
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Residents of the District of Fort St. James have a clear vision of how they want the community to develop and grow in the long term. Residents of the community envision “a beautified downtown core, connectivity to the waterfront, indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities, a diversified economy, and entertainment options during the evenings”. Twelve quality of life objectives were identified and topping list is:
To recognize the need for a variety of housing choices to meet the needs of area residents
The District of Fort St. James is committed to communicating and working with the neighbouring Nak’azdli Band community immediately south of the District. The Nak’azdli Band is a positive part of the Fort St. James community, and there are many opportunities for partnerships between the two communities, such as servicing, infrastructure, education, social support services, community pride, and housing. The District of Fort St. James OCP supports collaboration between the two levels of government.
The Official Community Plan Residential Objectives that are especially relevant to creating a housing strategy are:
• Directing future residential development in such a manner as to fully utilize existing municipal services prior to initiating service extensions • Encouraging infilling of vacant lots within existing residential subdivisions • Encouraging comprehensive neighbourhood plans in order to ensure the development of well planned and safe residential neighbourhoods • Encouraging the development of secondary suites and rental accommodations within existing and future urban residential areas and mixed use developments within the downtown commercial area • Encouraging appropriate and affordable accommodation for seniors • Encouraging a well balanced mixture of housing types, tenure options and prices that will strive to meet the accommodation needs of all socio-economic groups • Undertaking a review of the District’s subdivision and development servicing standards in order to explore the incorporation of Alternative Development Standards into the Subdivision and Development Servicing Bylaw.
Policies
The following policies from the Official Community Plan have relevance in the development of a Housing Strategy for Fort St. James.
• To cooperate with the Nak’azdli Band and the Integrated Land Management Bureau (ILMB) in order to acquire Crown land and encourage the development of serviced residential lots with the objective of providing reasonably priced building lots • To require comprehensive planning of new residential development including consideration of residential housing mix and densities, including social housing • To permit secondary suites within Single Family Residential dwellings • To re-affirm the policy of Council that the Rural C designation will not be expanded and to support Rural Cluster Development under the Rural Residential land use designations, in order to preserve viewscapes, recreational features or special environmental characteristics
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• To designate land within the District boundaries for all residential housing requirements sufficient to meet the anticipated housing needs of at least five (5) years • To allow a residential mix of 75% Single Family Residential and 25% Multiple Family Residential in all new areas designated as Urban • To explore partnership opportunities with the private sector and other governing bodies, such as the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, the Crown and First Nations, for the development of future residential developments and the provision of future infrastructure and recreational development • To consider negotiating development amenities as part of a development approval, as supported by Section 904 of the Local Government Act • To allow for multi-family residential development within the Commercial Core Designation only when the ground floor contains commercial uses; • To encourage architectural and urban design that reflects Fort St. James’s natural environment and history.
Implementation activities arising from adopting the Official Community Plan include:
• Updating the Zoning Bylaw to ensure consistency with this Official Plan and the long range planning intentions of the District • Prepare Neighbourhood Plans for future development within the Urban Containment Boundary. • Update the Subdivision Servicing Bylaw No. 599, 1995 to reflect servicing and servicing standards recommendations. In addition, this review can incorporate an exploration of Alternative Development Standards for the District. • A Development Cost Charge Bylaw.
Official Community Plan Land Use Designations
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2.2 Zoning2
The Fort St James Zoning Bylaw is a consolidated by-law approved in 2001 with subsequent amendments. The Zoning Bylaw regulates the use of land within the boundaries of the District of Fort St. James.
The Zoning Bylaw provides detailed and specific direction on what land uses are permitted and site requirements, including setback requirements, building heights and permitted lot sizes, among others for specific properties, while respecting and implementing the policies and designations of the Official Community Plan.
2.3 Development Policy3
In accordance with Section 879 of the Local Government Act, Council designated all Multi-Family Residential Developments as Development Permit Areas. All new buildings or expansion of existing buildings within the designated Development Permit Area are required to apply for a Development Permit. Development Permits are issued in accordance with the following guidelines:
1. The size and shape of apartments and townhouses should relate well to surrounding buildings and provide a transition between the single-family dwellings. Gabled roofs are preferred 2. Buildings should be oriented toward Stuart Drive West and Stuart Lake in order to take advantage of these amenities and sunlight exposure
2 DISTRICT OF FORT ST. JAMES ZONING BYLAW NO. 738, 2001[Consolidated with amending bylaws 807, 840, 873, 893, 903& 920] is the source of information for this section of the report 3 District of Fort St. James Official Community Plan (2010)
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3. The shape and siting of buildings, roof line and shape, and exterior finish should be sufficiently varied to avoid a monotonous appearance 4. Parking should be provided predominantly to the side and rear of buildings in order to make these areas less obtrusive 5. Buildings with large parking requirements should provide several parking areas instead of a single large parking lot 6. Areas not required for buildings and parking and access should be landscaped using a combination of trees, shrubs and grass 7. Parking lots including accesses, maneuvering aisles and loading areas should be surfaced with asphaltic or cement pavement. The layout, surfacing and drainage of all parking areas should facilitate quick drainage and easy snow removal 8. Townhouses and/or rowhouses shall be clustered to take advantage of open space and views. Small clusters are preferred and shall not exceed 8 dwelling units in a row 9. The repetition of facades is strongly discouraged 10. Façade colours should be chosen with consideration toprovidi ng colour in winter 11. Garbage containers shall be screened from view on three sides.
2.4 Secondary Suites4
Council policy encourages the development of secondary suites and rental accommodations within existing and future urban residential areas. The Policy’s objective is to provide for the safety of occupants of secondary suites, and to recover costs for utilities consumed by occupants of secondary suites.
Procedure
1. The District does not search for possible secondary suites, but acts on tips or complaints only 2. A secondary suite is defined as any occupied space within a premises zoned for single family dwelling that is primarily used as living quarters for a person or persons not directly related to the primary occupant of the premises, and which contains separate kitchen and bathroom facilities 3. After receiving a complaint of a possible secondary suite, Administration will contact the bylaw enforcement officer, who will make arrangements to inspect the premises 4. When a secondary suite is confirmed, the bylaw enforcement officer will immediately inform Administration, who will inform the Fire Chief and the Building Inspector of the existence of the suite 5. Administration will arrange for appropriate utility bills to be issued to the owner, retroactive to the beginning of the current billing period. A secondary suite is considered a Rental Unit for utility billing purposes 6. The Fire Chief will perform a fire safety inspection on the premises, and the Building Inspector will perform a building inspection on the premises. Wherever possible, the two inspections shall be performed at the same time 7. Where the premises are found not to be in compliance with the Fire Code or Building Code, provisions of the applicable policy or bylaw will be followed.
4 https://fortstjames.civicweb.net/Documents/DocumentList.aspx?ID=11831 Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 872, 210, section 5.2(e).
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2.5 Regional Context5
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako comprises eight municipalities (including Fort St. James) seven Electoral Rural Areas and thirteen distinct First Nation Communities. It is centrally located in the province between Prince George and Prince Rupert. The RDBN has a connected transportation and communication network, prosperous forestry, mining, agriculture, and tourism industries and extensive year-round recreational opportunities for residents.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako provides assistance to non-profit groups in the region. They provide information about Grant Writing Services, forming a non-profit society and links to the grant opportunities that are available.
5 Information from http://www.rdbn.bc.ca/
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Table 1: Bulkley Nechako District Summary Data Population in 2011: 39,208 Total private dwellings: 17,406 Population in 2006: 38,243 Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 15,169 Population in 2001: 40,856 Land area (km2): 73360.94 2006 to 2011 Population Change +2.5% Population density per square kilometer: 0.5
Source: http://www.rdbn.bc.ca/economicdevelopment/regional-information/demographics/120-census-data
Table 2: BC, Bulkley Nechako and Municipal Key Data Comparison
Population 2006- Total Occupied Land Area Population Population Density Municipality 2011 % Private by Usual (square 2011 2006 (square Change Dwellings Residents km) km)
BC 4,400,057 4,113,487 7.0 1,945,365 1,764,637 4.8 922,509.29
RDBN 39,208 38,243 2.5 17,406 15,169 0.5 73,360.94
Smithers 5,404 5,217 3.6 2,265 2,192 353.8 15.27
Telkwa 1,350 1,295 4.2 498 497 191.9 7.04
Houston 3,147 3,163 -0.5 1,402 1,264 43.1 72.94
Granisle 303 364 -16.8 261 169 7.2 41.86
Burns Lake 2,029 2,107 -3.7 846 766 307.7 6.59
Fraser Lake 1,167 1,113 4.9 543 482 286.9 4.07
Fort St. 1,691 1,350 25.3 760 674 72.0 23.47 James
Vanderhoof 4,480 4,064 10.2 1,791 1,705 81.7 54.83 Source: www.rdbn.bc.ca/economicdevelopment/regional-information/demographics/120-census-data
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako indicated a range of average house values for its municipalities -- from $52,000 for Granisle to $223,000 for Smithers based on 2011 information, with the Fort St. James average house value at $124,000.
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2.6 Federal and Provincial Context
Federal government departments predict that British Columbia's economy is expected to remain stable over the next couple years and that long-term projections are more favorable than the short-term picture, as increases to natural gas prices and a strengthened US housing market will lead to robust economic growth within the province. They predict that between now and 2018, job openings should be abundant.6
As the population continues to age, attrition is expected to play a large role in creating job openings. Indeed, over the next five years, 70% of the available jobs will be as a result of attrition. In order to meet labour market demands, BC could look to utilizing its youth population efficiently, while also drawing workers from outside the province. Immigrants are expected to play a larger role in filling labour demands, and recent data suggests this shift is already underway. Indeed, the immigrant population's share of the labour force has increased in each of the last two years.7
BC has not had recent success attracting people from within Canada. In 2011 and 2012, more people left the province to live elsewhere in Canada than moved to BC from another province or territory. The youth population in BC is also becoming a concern; since the recession, employment has steadily decreased. On the bright side, there will be robust growth in a variety of industries, which should attract workers of all age groups to the province's labour force.8
The British Columbia Financial and Economic Review (August 2013) produced by the provincial Ministry of Finance, noted that BC’s population grew by 1.0 percent as of July 1, 2012. During the 2012 calendar year, BC’s population increased by 45,996 persons. Most of this growth was attributable to the 35,985 persons BC welcomed via net international migration. Meanwhile inter-provincial migration in BC declined for a second straight year in 2012, as a net total of 8,657 persons left BC for other provinces. A natural increase of 11,615 persons also added to the total population of the province for 2012. 9
The Review also notes that Consumer prices in BC rose by 1.1 percent in 2012, a marked slowdown from the 2.4 percent inflation rate observed the previous year. After registering a slight decline in 2011, BC housing starts improved in 2012, rising by 4.0 percent to reach about 27,500 units. An annual gain of 9.1 percent in multiple unit starts offset a decline of 6.0 percent in single unit starts. At the same time, residential building permits (a leading indicator of potential new housing activity) grew by 9.8 percent in 2012 over 2011. Home sales in BC fell by 11.8 percent in 2012 compared to the previous year, following a 2.8 percent increase in 2011. Home prices in BC fell in 2012 after two consecutive years of solid increases, with the average home price dropping 8.3 percent from 2011 levels to reach about $515,000.10
6 http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/lmi/publications/e-scan/bc/mar2013.shtml 7 http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/lmi/publications/e-scan/bc/mar2013.shtml 8 http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/lmi/publications/e-scan/bc/mar2013.shtml 9 http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/F&Ereview13.pdf 10 http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/F&Ereview13.pdf
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3. HOUSING SITUATION
3.1 Location and Context11
The District of Fort St. James is located on the Stuart Lake Highway/27 N a 45-minute drive from the Yellowhead Highway 16/ W in the Regional District of Bulkely-Nechako. It is 160 kilometers, or 1 hour and 50 minute drive from Prince George in northern BC. It is adjacent to the Nak’azdli Indian Reserve (IR No.1) to the south, the Williams Prairie Meadow Reserve (IR No. 1A) to the northwest and the Utza Nahounli Creek Reserve to the west.
Location of Fort St. James Fort St. James
District Boundary and Location on Stuart Lake Source: http://murrayridge.com Source: District of Fort St. James Community Features
Fort St. James is located in the sub-boreal spruce zone of British Columbia, a sub-division of the hemiboreal climatic zone. It is characterized by severe, snowy winters and short, warm summers. The region is rich in wildlife.
The District of Fort St. James has several major institutional facilities including; school facilities, medical facilities and justice facilities, as well as municipal institutions. Outside of town is a small airport.
School District 91 operates two schools within the District: David Hoy Elementary School and Fort St. James Secondary School. Nak'albun Elementary School is located within the District and is operated by the Nak’azdli Band. In addition, the College of New Caledonia operates a satellite campus in the District.
Medical facilities within the community include: the 12 bed Stuart Lake Hospital, a dental clinic, medical clinic and ambulance station. The community has recognized the importance of providing comprehensive medical and social services to residents and is considering the creation of a Wellness District near the commercial core.
11 Much of the information in this section comes from District staff
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The facilities operated by the District of Fort St. James, include; the municipal office, the fire hall, the public works yard, ice arena, and public library. In addition, the District leases property for a curling rink, senior’s centre, music makers' hall, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Fire Training facility.
The District of Fort St. James is also home to an R.C.M.P detachment, as well a Provincial Courthouse. The District recognizes the importance of a Community Centre/Conference Centre to increase the capacity to host local events.
In addition, there is also a number of Places of Worship throughout the District.
Parks, Recreation, and Culture are vital components of a community’s overall Quality of Life and the residents of Fort St. James have clearly expressed that access to the area’s unsurpassed outdoor recreation opportunities is one of the primary benefits of living in Fort St. James, as well as one of the elements that attract people to the community. As a result, there has been an increasing amount of interest for community-based recreation and cultural industry development in Fort St. James by investors, visitors and local residents.
Existing formal recreation facilities include: Stuart Lake and Cottonwood Marina, the Murray Ridge ski area, the Stuart Lake Golf course, Fort Forum, the curling rink, and the Fort St. James National Historic Park. In addition, the community has a wide range of existing parks that include soccer fields, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, playground equipment, bike park and beach facilities.
The abundance of, and easy access to, the natural surroundings of Fort St. James creates the opportunity for a wide range of outdoor recreational activities, such as; boating, swimming, fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, snowmobiling, and many more. There are f campgrounds and picnic areas in close proximity to the town and the Visitor Information Centre offers maps and guides to the many outdoor activities.
History12
This community has pride in being the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in British Columbia. It was established in 1806 by Simon Fraser, James MacDougall, John Stuart and North West Company fur traders.
This settlement as part of a larger northern area was named “New Caledonia” because it reminded the settlers of Caledonia in Scotland. The Carrier people already inhabited this area. Chief Kwah of the Carrier tribe is famous for having held a long-term relationship with the fur traders and was highly respected by both the Carrier and the settlers.
Also known historically as Stuart Lake Post, it is one of British Columbia's oldest permanent European settlements and was the administrative centre for the Hudson's Bay Company's New Caledonia fur district. The fort, rebuilt four times, continued as an important trading post well into the twentieth century. Now the fort is a National Historic Site of Canada with some buildings dating to the 1880s.
12 Most historical information provided by Margaret Owen, Author of, “Diary of Fort St. James, The story of growth and development of a small town in Central British Columbia.” 1990. Owen Enterprises. D.W Friesen & Sons Ltd. Altona, MB, Canada.
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During the 1850s gold became the boom in British Columbia. In 1869 Fort St. James saw an influx in population as the gateway to the Omenica region that lay 100 miles north, where gold had been discovered.
Through the 20s and 30s forestry, fur trapping and ranching remained steady. The Pinchi Mercury mine was opened in the 1940s. It became the only mercury production site in Canada and the largest in the British Commonwealth. At its peak, this mine site housed more people than the town itself but it lasted only 4 years.
The 1952 Fort St. James experienced two significant events, the arrival of electricity and incorporation. In the mid-1960s the slow progress that previously characterized the growth of the town changed with the extension of the rail road up into the Fort St. James area, the Mercury mine was put back into production, the Takla Forest Products mill was built and the Caledonia courier started up in 1969.
The 1970s signified the beginning of the growth for Fort St. James. The 70s saw a centennial celebration of the community, the installation of a library, hospital and Music Makers theatre production and a TV Society as well as an airport. In 1972 Apollo sawmill had just moved to a new location and Stuart Lake Sawmill would open later in the year. After the development of the sawmills and the closure of the Pinchi Mine in 1975, industrial development stagnated. The opening of the National Historic Site on June 27, 1977 opened the opportunity for tourism in the region.
While the town has since continued to attract tourists to the region, it remains largely forestry dependent. The community celebrated its bicentennial in 2006. The construction of the Mt Milligan gold and molybdenum mine north of town in 2010 holds new employment opportunities for locals and newcomers alike and is set to begin production in late 2013.
Residential Development13
In 1965 the town council bought 250 acres of central property for eventual housing at a cost of $150,000. Housing and trailer courts were also under construction.
In 1964 the Rainbacher Company build a duplex, four-plex, 2 small apartment buildings and a 30-unit apartment block which was followed by a second one. The Rainbachers also built individual homes, including their own. In 1973 the Rainbachers opened a new 13-unit Lakeview apartment complex on Stuart Drive.
In the same year, a 25-unit apartment building on hospital hill owned by Walter and Dale Dagenais was completed.
Two row-housing complexes (Stuart Townhouses), and a few separate homes were constructed in 1970 and maintained and subsidized by Cominco for their employees. The mine closed in 1975 due to concerns about mercury in the Stuart Lake and River area and multi-family commercial housing development ceased until Mt. Milligan built employee housing in 2010.
13 District staff provided chronology of residential development
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3.2 Population and Demographic Information
Demographic changes have a major bearing on how the District developed in the past and how it may change in the future. Historically, the region has had a fluctuating population growth rate typical of resource-based communities. The population growth in the District of Fort St. James has waned over the years, most recently due to economic factors such as the closure of Stuart Lake Lumber and Pope & Talbot mills and the reduced workweek of Apollo Forest Products.
Between the years 2001 and 2006, Fort St. James experienced the most significant population decrease in 30 years (-29.7%)14. Fort St. James has seen a population increase of 25% between 2006 and 2011. Researchers suggest that the change has been partly due to under-reporting of information in 2006.
Table 3: 2006 and 2011 Population, Dwelling Units and Density District of Fort St. Regional District of British Columbia James Bulkley-Nechako Population 2011 1,691 39,208 4,400,057 Population 2006 1,355 38,243 4,113,487 Population 2001 1,927 40,856 3,907,738 Population Change 25.3 2.5 7 2006-2011 (%) Population Change -29.7 -6.4 5.3 2001-2006 (%) Total private dwellings 756 16,923 1,788,474 Population density per km 61.3 0.5 4.4 Land area km 22.10 73,440.95 924,815,.43 Source; Official Community Plan, Stats Canada 2011
Table 4: Census Population City 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 %Change 1991- 2011 Regional *3,710 4,015 1,688 1,355 1,429 -61% District Area "C" Fort St. 2058 2046 1927 1355 1691 21.7 James Nak'azdli 398 511 469 495 534 34.2 Prince 69,655 70, 981 72, 406 70, 981 71, 974 3.3 George British 3, 282, 061 3, 724, 500 3, 907, 738 4, 113, 487 4, 400, 057 34.1 Columbia Source; Census 1991-2006, Stats Canada and NHS 2011 *1991: Number listed under Regional District subdivision “c” including C91A and C91B
14 Official Community Plan p 6. It should be noted that researchers believe that the 2006 census undercounted.
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Age
The age categories 0 to 4 years old, 5 to 9 years old and 10 to 14 years old are significantly above the provincial average, while there are noticeably fewer citizens in the 70+ year old range. There is however a large portion of the population in the 50 to 59 age group.
In general, the community of Fort St. James is a very young community as illustrated in the 2011 population pyramid with the largest number of people being children aged 5 to 9 years. The next largest group is people aged 15 to 19 years.
2011 Fort St. James Population Pyramid
Female 80 to 84 years Male 70 to 74 years 60 to 64 years 50 to 54 years 40 to 44 years 30 to 34 years 20 to 24 years 10 to 14 years 0 to 4 years 100 50 0 50 100
Source: Census 2011, District of Fort St. James
Table 5: Median Age 2011 Median Age 2011 Male Female Total 60 Fort St. 40 35.8 34.7 35.2 Fort St. James 20 James 0 Nak'azdli 36.9 36.4 36.6 Nak'azdli
British 32 31.8 31.9 Columbia Source: Census 2011
Seniors Population
Statistics Canada 2011 data indicate that the Fort St. James seniors population is 11% of the total population of the town. The Fort St James rental database does not have a large number of people over age 65 looking for places to rent.
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Table 6: Seniors Housing Information Indicator 55+ Fort St. James British Columbia Proportion of Seniors (2006) 23% 26.8% Growth of Seniors Population (1991-2011) 171.40% 63.20% % Seniors paying 30% or more on rent (2011) unavailable unavailable % Senior renters in core housing need (2011) 115 27,000 Proportion of Seniors renting (2011) unavailable unavailable Number of Seniors on waitlist 5 7,109 Median Rent (2011) 689 903 Number of units for Seniors in affordable 14 33,062 housing- independent, frail, SAFER Seniors Housing Created Low Income Seniors, 1982 Frail Seniors, 2006 Source: Census 2011, NHS 2011, CMHC Rental Survey 2013, District of Fort St. James
The issues around seniors housing are documented in the Fort St. James Seniors Housing report completed in 2010. With the increase of the senior population and the realization that seniors have a right to age in place, issues are emerging. Seniors who are more vulnerable may go unnoticed or over- looked and do not receive help till they reach the stage of needing medical assistance. Seniors in small communities and rural areas issues are different than those in larger communities because they do not have access to the range of services or resources as the larger metropolitan communities. Many seniors programs rely on volunteers, locally sponsored programs and nonprofit organizations all of which have limited resources. Most seniors like to be independent as long as possible. Seniors living in rural areas tend to move closer to local services as they age.
The seniors housing survey results found that:
• 90% of those who live in the municipality of Fort St. James would consider staying • 41% of respondents have considered moving to seniors housing • 5.9% were looking for seniors housing • 5.4% were on a waiting list for seniors housing 5.4% • There is a need for seniors housing in Fort. St. James. The form of seniors housing desired: o 30.4% low income supplemented housing o 21% Independent living detached housing o 19% Independent living condominium o 17% Independent living seniors complex apartment one bedroom o 13.5% Independent living seniors complex apartment two bedroom o 9% Assisted living total care o 7.6% Assisted living need some personal care.
Fort St. James does not have the variety of seniors housing types needed to serve its residents. Seniors have to move to Vanderhoof or elsewhere to meet their housing needs.
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Household Size
Household size in Fort St. James has been relatively static since 1991 but increased from 2.5 to 3 persons per household between 2006 and 2011.
Table 7: Average Household Size, 1991-2011 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 Fort St. James 3.1 2.8 3 2.5 3 Source: Census 1991-2011, NHS 2011
Household Types
There has been a decrease in total households in Fort St. James from 975 households in 1991 to 765 households in 2011 as indicated in Table 8. During this period, single person households and married/common law households increased in number.
Table 8: Fort Saint James Private Households by Type 1991-2011 Household Type 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 1991-2011% Change Married/ Common Law with Children 325 295 215 195 195 -40%
Married/ Common Law without Children 130 165 195 140 175 34.60%
One-Person 135 160 175 150 200 48.10% Other 385 225 140 65 190 -50.60% Total 975 845 725 550 760 -22% Source; Census 1991-2011, NHS 2011
As shown in Table 9, Fort St. James had a small decrease (-5%) in family households from 595 in 1991 to 565 in 2011. The nature of family households however changed significantly with married couple families declining in number and common law and single parent families increasing.
Table 9: Characteristic of Census Families 1991 - 2011 Family Type 1991 2011 % Change Married-couple families 385 280 -27% Common-law couple families 65 90 39%
Lone-parent families 75 100 33% Female-led 55 70 27% Male-led 15 25 67% Total Families 595 565 -5% Source: Census 2006, 2011
The change in the nature of families and households in Fort St. James has implications for housing in that a greater diversity of housing forms are needed to serve the greater diversity of households. For example, more two person and single person households indicate the need for smaller housing types like condos or apartments.
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The District of Fort St. James rental database supplies more detailed information on the rental market in Fort St James from January to August 2013. This data shows a large percentage of rental profiles are young couples and single youth seeking rental units. Out of 124 profiles, 42 are families with children. Out of the profiles seeking housing, roughly 60% are new comers to the community or looking to move to the community. Out of the 124 profiles, 74 rental profiles are detailed and 47% of the detailed profiles include individuals 30 and under. Of the 74, 19 were unemployed while seeking housing and 61% of rental seekers are from out of town.
Ethnic Origin
The population of the Fort St. James area was 1,691 in 2011, of whom about one quarter identify as being of First Nations origins, as indicated in Table 10. The town is surrounded by First Nations communities and Indian reserves, including Pinchie, Tachie, and Nak'azdli.
Table 10: Ethnic Origins in 2011 Ethnic Origins 2011 Ethnic Origins 2011 North American Aboriginal 300 North American Aboriginal First Nations 290 First Nations Metis 20 Metis Other North American 370 Other North American Origins British Isles 795 British Isles Northern European 230 Northern European Eastern European 185 Eastern European Western European 295 Western European Southern European 70 Southern European French French 305 Japanese Japanese 10 East Indian East Indian 75 East and Southeast Asian 20 Source: NHS 2011 South Asian 80
The significant presence of aboriginal ethnic origin within Fort St. James and the location of aboriginal communities adjacent to Fort St. James have housing implications – especially the potential for co-operation to address common housing issues jointly and in a coordinated fashion.
Education
Table 11 indicates the distribution of education level in Fort St. James in 2006 and 2011. Education level is an important economic indicator. The type and diversity of education level of the population indicate the nature of the employment base and influence the kinds of industry, commerce and institutions attracted to locate in the community. Growth in employment opportunities drives the need for housing to be created to accommodate workers and their families.
Educational level also has implications on ability to pay for or to afford housing as higher educational levels generally translate into higher wages and salaries. As indicated in Table 10, Fort St. James has higher portions of its population with no educational certificate and lower percentage of its population having college or university education than provincial averages.
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Table 11: Fort St. James Education Level for People aged 25 to 64 in 2006 and 2011 Education Level 2006 2011 University Degree 135 110 College Diploma or equivalent 215 105 Apprenticeship or trade certificate 70 130 High school certificate or equivalent 150 290 No certificate, diploma or degree 165 210 Source: Census 2006, 2011
Table 12: Fort St. James and BC Education Level Comparison (aged 15+) in 2011 Fort St. James BC Education Level # % # % No certificate, diploma or degree 350 20.6 607,655 14 High school certificate or equivalent 395 23.3 1,009,400 23.3 Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma 180 10.6 387,455 8.9
College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or 175 10.3 628,115 14.5 diploma University certificate or diploma below the bachelor 40 2.3 208,245 4.8 level University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor 120 7 805,965 18.6 level or above Source: NHS 2011
The Implications of the employment profile for Fort St. James suggest that affordability of housing is important especially for those without educational certification and with high school certification.
3.3 Homeless Population15
A study on the area homeless completed in December 2011 and made possible through a Community Action Initiative grant, allowed two researchers to design and conduct a survey of 33 disenfranchised or homeless people in the community. Initiated by the local CNC campus, in partnership with Nak’azdli Health Centre, Nak’azdli Alternate Justice Centre, the District of Fort St. James and the United Way, the study surveyed the living conditions and needs in the community. The idea behind the study was to look at ways to help refer people to the existing services and begin “filling in the gaps.” The plan is to connect resources and to give the people the programs are trying to help some input as to what else is needed.
The researchers heard that people would like to be able to work with elders and their traditional language, many would like to be able to take workshops and that some are hoping an outreach worker could be made available to them downtown in Fort St. James. The study noted that out of the 33 people surveyed, only one preferred a drop-in on the Nak’azdli Reserve. More than half of the survey respondents were from other reserves and did not feel comfortable accessing resources on reserve.
Of the 33 surveyed, 15 per cent were between the ages of 18 and 30, 24 per cent were between 31 and 40, 27 per cent were between 41 and 50 and a third of the group were over 51. Forty-eight per cent of those interviewed said they have no home or couch surf with relatives.
15 Lloyd, Ruth, Study finds homelessness, but also opportunity, Caledonia Courier, Jan 16, 2013, http://issuu.com/blackpress/docs/i20130116070401259/4
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3.4 Economic Development
The local economy is well diversified, although resource-oriented. The forest industries constitute the leading sector followed by mining, agriculture and tourism. In the Fort St. James and Nak’azdli area are 2 large-scale sawmills, 2 value-added mills, 1 mine and 1 soon-to-be commercial greenhouse. The area is also home to a dozen logging companies that support the Forestry industry. Recent developments also include a small high technology sector.
Table 13: Fort St. James Industry Participation Industry 2011 % of Total Wholesale Trade 0 0% Finance and Real Estate 10 1.00% Construction 50 6.10% Educational Services 60 7.40% Healthcare and Social Services 50 6.10% Retail Trade 130 16% Business Services 65 8% Agriculture and Resource-based Industries 65 8% Other Services 25 3.10% Manufacturing 210 26% Total Experienced Labour Force Age 15+ 815 100% Source: NHS 2011
The economy in Fort St. James has traditionally been resource-based with a focus on forestry - timber harvesting and sawmill operations, with the tourism industry adding some resilience. Communities such as Fort St. James that are dominated by one economic sector, especially forestry, tend to have a specialized workforce. In the case of Fort St. James, 21% of the population is employed in trades, transport and equipment operator positions, 10% is employed in unique processing, manufacturing and utilities positions, and 7% is employed in unique positions in primary industries. Table 14 summarizes the change in Employment categories between 2006 and 2011 in the District of Fort St. James.
Table 14: Fort St. James Labour Force by Industry
2006 2011 % Labour Force by Industry 2006, 2011 Wholesale Trade 10 0 0% Finance and Real Estate 30 10 1. % Construction 10 50 6.% Manufacturing Educational Services 120 60 7.4% Business Services 2011 Healthcare & Social Services 70 50 6.1% Educational … Retail Trade 40 130 16% 2006 Business Services 60 65 8% Wholesale Trade Agriculture Resource Industries 100 65 8% 0 100 200 300 Other Services 100 25 3.1% Manufacturing 215 210 26% Total Experienced Labour Force Age 15+ 760 815 100%
Source: NHS 2011
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The dominant forest sector has been experiencing economic challenges in recent years, resulting in a significant number of people with specialized work skills without jobs. As indicated in Table 15, unemployment rates in Fort St. James have been higher than the BC average in 2006 and 2011.
Table 15: Fort St. James Labour Force Indicators 2001, 2006, 2011 Fort St. James & BC Unemployment Rate Comparisons 2001, 2006, 2011 2001 2006 2011 15 Participation Rate 73.1 71 64.7 10 Unemployment Employment Rate 67.9 65.4 57.9 5 Rate Unemployment Rate 7.2 7.9 11 0 BC Unemployment 1 2 3 Rate 8.5 6 7.5 Source: Census 2001, 2006, 2011
Residents of Fort St. James have recognized the economic issues in their community and have been working towards revitalizing all sectors of the economy including forestry. In addition, the importance of diversification of local industries such as tourism has been recognized, given the abundant open space, beautiful and numerous lakes and natural features of the area.
The mining sector is a potential economic opportunity for the District of Fort St. James and region. Terrane Metals, for example, have been advancing the Mount Milligan Project towards production since acquiring the property in July of 2006, 90km north of Fort St. James. To date, the provincial Environmental Impact Assessment has been approved and the Mines Permit is in place. Construction of the Mt. Milligan copper-gold project, located 86 km north of Fort St James, began operations on October 8, 2013 and construction is now complete. The mine is operating with full commercial production scheduled for 2014 and will employ 350 permanent positions. The town of Fort St James will be used as the major hiring centre as well as the supply and service depot for the mine.
The mine, for example, could bring an influx of residents moving to the District of Fort St. James. As many as 300 new residents could move to the community, which would significantly change the population demographic. However, many of the employees are being housed on site and the property purchased by the mine in Fort St. James for housing development has not been developed.
Building permit information is also an indicator of economic activities at the community level. Between the years 2003 and 2007, the District of Fort St. James has seen a consistent number of small home renovation permits such as roof upgrades and carport constructions. In addition, there have been a few significant capital investment projects within the community that include mill expansions at Conifex and Apollo Forest Products, the addition to Pioneer Place Seniors Complex, and the addition to Stuart Lake Hospital.
In addition, the District of Fort St. James had 2 significant civic projects over the last few years including the construction of the new Municipal Office and the construction of the new Bicentennial Library. In
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2014 the Nak'azdli First Nation will complete their $13 million construction project of Nak'albun Elementary School that was started in 2012.
Earthworks and construction started in late 2013 for the $215 million Fort Green Energy Project, with construction completion expected in 2015.
3.5 Housing Data
Need for future housing in Fort St. James will be driven by two major considerations: demographic characteristics and economic growth. Housing demand, and the corresponding need for land supply, is linked to factors, including:
• Relative age of the community • Investment in employment activities • Income levels • Interest rates • In-migration.
Housing types in Fort St. James are predominately Single Family Residential. There are some multi-family dwellings in the forms of apartments and condominiums that provide the District with affordable housing options within the community. However, the housing stock is aging. The majority of dwellings in Fort St. James (78%) were constructed prior to 1986. A variety of housing forms, including new or redeveloped, is needed for the Fort St. James community.
Fortunately, there have been new housing developments within the District of Fort St. James that are a mix of “Single Family Residential” and “Multi- Family Residential” dwellings. An example is the new Multi-Family Residential homes (four-plex) dwellings located on a new neighbourhood section of Murray Road in the District. Not only do these homes provide an alternative housing option for local residents, the building forms complement the surrounding Single-Family homes. In addition, these Multi-Family homes reduce the building footprint on the landscape, increase the densification of the urban area, and mix different socio-economic demographic groups in the same complete neighbourhood. The District of Fort St. James also has a new seniors housing complex, which is an important contribution to the variety of local housing while, at the same time, providing for the changing housing demand of aging baby boomers.
3.6 Income
The BC Housing Annual Report 2011/12 shows that in the north region, (the region in which Fort St. James is located), 2,600 households spend more than 50% of income on rent, compared with 8,700 in the BC interior and 64, 900 in all of BC.
3.7 Future Growth16
In order to meet the short to medium term demand for housing in Fort St. James, it is essential that there be housing lots available to meet the future demand.
16 Much of the information for this section comes from the OCP unless otherwise noted.
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Population Projections17
For planning purposes, population projections have been prepared for the period extending to the year 2036.18 This comprises the basic forecast period for the Official Community Plan. The projections on which the OCP are based reflect different percentage growth rates, varying from a stable 1.5% rate to a relatively high 3.5% annual growth rate.
As the population of Fort St. James could stabilize or decline, the policies of the OCP do not commit the District to significant capital expenditures or expansion of services.
Recent information from the District housing database suggests that the number of families moving to the community has increased in 2013. In Fort St. James, 66% of residents have lived at the same address for the last 5 years, compared with the provincial average of 53%. The low mobility rate and lack of first time homebuyers within Fort St. James has limited the demand for housing mainly to in-migration.
Although the number of seniors in Fort St. James is lower then the provincial average and does not represent the majority of people in the community, the “baby boomer” generation is evident in Fort St. James and is aging, leading to the conclusion that the community must plan for senior living in the future so that the District can retain all ages of the population.
There is a generation of “mobile seniors”, those residents who wish to live closer to the town centre or no longer require a large home but do not necessarily require assisted living. These residents will increase the demand for housing types such as strata development or rancher style homes in Fort St. James. Including these alternative forms of housing within the District of Fort St. James is an important part of providing places to live for people at different stages of their lives. Otherwise, locals may search for different “retirement” communities that offer the lifestyle opportunities specific to their needs.
Residential Development Projections
Table 16 summarizes the projected range in potential housing demand depending upon the growth rate scenario for the area.
Table 16 – Fort St. James Projected Residential Demand Low Growth Medium Growth High Growth Time Frame Number of New Residential Units 5 years 8 14 19 10 years 16 28 39 15 years 25 42 59 20 years 33 56 80 Source: Fort St. James OCP
The projected residential demand was converted into land area by utilizing the assumption of 10 new residential units per hectare. This assumption takes into account that some residential areas have
17 Fort St. James OCP 18 The projected additional population is determined by subtracting the projected population for a specific year from the base population. For example, the projected additional population using a medium estimate of 2.5 percent for the year 2011 is 34 additional residents. The average household size in Fort St. James is 2.5 persons per household. Therefore if the population of the District of Fort St. James increases by 34 residents by the year 2011, an additional 14 dwelling units will be required over the next 5 years for this additional population.
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greater residential density than others. Table 3 - Projected Land Requirements below illustrates the range of land requirements associated with the projected residential demand.
Table 17 – Fort St. James Projected Land Requirements Low Growth Medium Growth High Growth Time Frame Land Requirement (Hectares) 5 years 1 2 2 10 years 2 3 4 15 years 3 5 6 20 years 4 6 8 Source: Fort St. James OCP
Even with an additional 300 residents in Fort St. James in the next 5 years, the District has more than a sufficient amount of land dedicated for urban residential uses. Table 18 summarizes the potential increase in population and the associated land requirements.
Table 18: Fort St. James Projected Residential Demand Significant increase in population occurs as a result of a mine opening and operating scenario Time Frame Projected Population Number of New Residential Units Land Requirement (Hectares) 5 years (2011) 1689 134 14 Source: Fort St. James OCP
If the District of Fort St. James experienced an increase of 300 residents in addition to the increase of 34 residents from a medium growth rate of 2.5% in five years, then the total population of the community would be 1,689 residents. This would require 134 new residential units and 14 hectares of land. These projections indicate a very modest need for new land for development and could likely be accommodated within the existing supply of already serviced land. The District has approximately 115 hectares of undeveloped land in Fort St. James, which is more then enough urban residential land to accommodate the potential influx of residents due to mining activity or other larger scale growth scenario.
4. HOUSING INVENTORY
4.1 Existing Market19
Source: District of Fort St. James
19 Much of the information for this section comes from the OCP unless otherwise noted.
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The small town character of Fort St. James is reflected in the residential neighbourhoods within the District that surround the downtown Commercial Core. The close proximity of the neighbourhoods to the Commercial Core enhances the walkability between the different parts of the community. In addition, the neighbourhoods have excellent access to parks and recreational uses. The neighbourhood surrounding Dogwood and Birch Street, for example, contains a school and field that are within easy walking distance for residents in that area.
The existing housing types in Fort St. James are predominately single detached residential. There are some multi-family dwellings in the forms of apartments and townhouses that provide the District with affordable housing options within the community. Source: District of Fort St. James
Residential areas that are defined as urban can be either “Single Family Residential” or “Multiple Family Residential”. The urban designation allows for fully serviced residential housing ranging from the least dense single detached option to the highest density of 3 storey apartments.
The combination of rural, single family and multiple family housing options is key in providing a variety of housing types for residents in Fort St. James.
The “Rural Residential” designation includes un-serviced, large lots that provide an option for those seeking a rural lifestyle. Within the rural designation, clustering of homes is permitted in order to retain Environmentally Sensitive Areas and open spaces, provided the overall density objective is not surpassed.
There are a variety of housing options available for purchase in Fort St. James, ranging from rural residential developments with very low density, to urban residential lots with 75% of units as single detached homes and 25% multi-family homes. Houses in Fort St. James range between $100,000 to $500,000 in value, with many beautiful homes located on picturesque Stuart Lake.20
Source: District of Fort St. James
Rental accommodations for newcomers can be more challenging to find, and while word of mouth continues to be the best way to source rental housing, a number of apartment listings are available for contact in the District directory.21 The District of Fort St. James housing rentals database supplies detailed information on the specifics of the rental market in Fort St James. This information is not tracked by CMHC or BC Housing due to the small size of the community.
20 http://fortstjames.ca/housing/ 21 http://fortstjames.ca/housing/
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A large percentage of rental profiles are young couples and single youth seeking rental units. Out of 151 profiles on the Fort St. James rental database, 60 include children. This represents 40% of rental profiles. Out of the total profiles seeking housing, 36% are newcomers to the community or looking to move to the community. In the previous report this number was 60%.
The data also show that the influx of newcomers to the community has created a discrepancy between the amount of people seeking rental housing and the current rental stock available within the community. The chart below shows the current number of active rental seekers compared with the current number of private dwellings listed on the database. Out of 151 rental profiles on the database, 47 have confirmed that they have found accommodation (31%).
Persons Seeking Rental Accommodation Versus Available Rental Units in Fort St.James 200
100
0 Current Rental Seekers Total Number of Current Listings
Source: District of Fort St. James, Nov. 2013
Finding adequate housing has proven to be a challenge for some. The following chart shows the percentage of rental seekers that can afford to pay between $500 and $800 a month, $800 and $1200 and above $1200. The larger percentage of seekers can afford to pay within the range of $500 and $800 per month as a maximum living payment that would include utilities.
There have been new developments within Fort St. James of mixed single detached and multi-unit residential, including a new seniors housing complex. These types of residential developments in Fort St. James are important in order to accommodate the changing demographics of the region. For example, “mobile seniors”, those residents who wish to live closer to the town centre or no longer require a large home but do not necessarily require assisted living, have increased the demand for strata development and rancher style homes.
New neighbourhood developments within the District that are designated as Urban–Residential are encouraged to have an overall housing ratio of 75% single family dwellings and 25% multiple dwellings, with a maximum of 65 dwelling units per hectare. These neighbourhoods are predominantly single- detached homes with duplexes located on a scattered site basis. Low-rise apartments are to be located adjacent to major roads and close to parks and schools.
The objectives and policies in the Residential Designation of the Official Community Plan are intended to provide a variety of housing forms for all community members while respecting the neighbourhood and small town character of Fort St. James.
The District of Fort St. James has the opportunity to provide a variety of lot sizes in the community that reflect the various lifestyles of local residents. Density objectives are outlined in the following table.
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Table 19: Fort St. James Housing Densities Maximum Density or Residential Designation Overall Intent Minimum Lot Size Areas to be maintained in resource use such as forestry and Rural Holdings 1 lot per 20 hectares agriculture, as well as natural open spaces Rural A is a low-density rural residential development, including Rural A – Large Rural Residential 1 lot per 10 hectares hobby farms. Rural B – Small Rural Residential 1 lot per 2 hectares Rural B is a moderate density rural residential development. Rural C reflects those areas within the District where areas of Rural C – Existing Rural Residential 1 lot per 1300m smaller rural residential lots already exist. Maximum 100 units per Within Urban Containment Boundary to provide a mix of 75% Urban hectare [Bylaw No. 919, 2012] single-detached homes and 25% Multi-Family Homes Source: OCP
4.2 Existing Non- Market
Pioneer Lodge22
Pioneer Lodge, a two-unit assisted living development for seniors in Fort St. James was developed in 2006. Pioneer Lodge is a one-storey, wood-framed building with two cottage-style units and surface parking. The new assisted living apartments are connected to Pioneer Place, the Fort St. James Senior Citizens Home Society’s existing seniors’ apartment building, by an exterior walkway.
Pioneer Lodge is operated by the Fort St. James Senior Citizens Home Society and funded under the Independent Living BC (ILBC) program. Assisted living homes add to the range of housing and care options available to seniors by providing a middle option between home support and residential care.
The assisted living units are self-contained apartments with a 24-hour response system. Residents also receive assistance with medications, meals, housekeeping and laundry services and recreational and social opportunities. Northern Health will provide ongoing funding for personal care and hospitality services to ensure that tenants have access to the support they need to remain independent.
Pioneer Place23
Pioneer Place is an independent seniors’ residence operated by the Fort St. James Senior Citizens Home Society. It contains 12 one-bedroom rental apartments with rents based upon income. People with disabilities are accepted. There is wheel chair accessibility and preference is given to residents of Fort St. James.
22 BC Housing. The capital cost of this project was $418,618.The federal government, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, provided a capital grant of $100,000. The Province, through BC Housing, will provide a housing subsidy of $20,296 over 35 years, plus a $50,000 capital grant. Northern Health provides approximately $6,000 in annual funding for the personal care and part of the hospitality services to tenants. The Fort St. James Senior Citizens Housing Society provided $20,000 in land equity and $15,100 through community donations. The District of Fort St. James contributed $3,100 in reductions of municipal levies. The remainder of the funding is provided in the form of a mortgage through BC Housing’s operating agreement. 23 BC Housing, http://www.bchousing.org/resources/Housing_Listings/zone12_senior.pdf
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Fireweed Safe Haven Transition House24
The Fireweed Collective Society provides a first-stage transition house in Fort St. James for women and their children who are leaving a violent relationship. In 2007 Fireweed received an increase in provincial funding to allow women to access it 24/7. In exceptional circumstances the house may shelter youth leaving abusive situations.
The Society offers “Stopping the Violence” individual and group counseling to women who have experienced relationship violence, sexual assault or historical childhood abuse of any kind. The program serves women aged 19 and over and younger women if they are living an independent adult lifestyle. The Society also provides:
• Support for women with issues of violence and abuse • Information and referral • Outreach • Assistance with developing safety plans.
4.3 Non- Market Opportunity
A group of citizens has been investigating the feasibility of developing additional housing for seniors in the community. The group distributed approximately 60 surveys in the community and received 36 completed surveys.
Of the respondents to the survey, 69% percent supported a co-op form of seniors housing, 14 % were interested in condo housing, 11% in cluster housing, 11% in apartments and 3% in non-profit housing. Approximately 86% of the respondents preferred a two-bedroom unit in the 850-900 square foot range.
About 50% of respondents were interested in receiving light housekeeping services, 31% were interested in some assistance with transportation, 19% were interested in a “Meals on Wheels” type program and 8% were interested in having medical staff on site. Forty-two percent did not foresee the need for any assistance.
Based upon an 83% interested response, the group is working on further developing the assessment of a seniors co-op, have signed up over 100 members and are considering registering a co-op society to take the project on.
4.4 Market Opportunity
The Heathmont neighbourhood, located north of Elm Street West and east of Highway 27 North, is where the most new home construction is occurring. A key area identified to meet future demand is in the north end of the District north and east of Heathmont Street. This area of the community is already designated by the current OCP as UR - Urban Residential and will support the residential demand in Fort St. James.
24 Fireweed website
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In addition, the OCP designation for Urban Residential land located in the Pineridge Neighbourhood of the District has great potential for high-end viewscape homes.
Land costs are low in Fort St. James. For example, as indicated on the left, four building lots were available on Murray Rd in Fort St James and priced from $19,900 to $29,900 in December 2013. These are serviced lots on a road with newer houses and duplexes. No trailers are allowed. The lots are advertised as being within walking distance to both elementary and secondary schools. Lots with waterfront access are more expensive for example
the lot to the right was offered for sale at 100,000 in
December 2013. Source: Kiiji Source Kiiji
4.5 Municipal Opportunity
The District of Fort St. James owns land and has the opportunity to re-acquire former municipal land that could be used to advance its housing objectives. It would be helpful to complete an inventory of municipal land to determine its suitability for housing development.
The District also has planning and development regulatory powers and financial controls that it could use to advance its housing objectives, as explained in this report.
The existing stock of single detached homes also offers an opportunity to contribute to the rental housing supply. The municipality has an opportunity to facilitate this through revising its policy and regulations on the creation of secondary suites in existing housing.
In creating new municipal facilities, the District could also consider including housing development. For example housing over fire stations and family and senior housing with community centers.
4.6 Nak’azdli Band Opportunity
Nak'azdli is located on Necoslie I.R. No. 1 beside the District of Fort St. James. There are housing units on I.R. No 1A, I.R. No. 3 and I.R. No. 6. The Nak'azdli First Nation services 17 reserves; with the last reserve being added on March 11, 2010.
Nak'azdli is a member of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC) along with six other First Nation Bands. Nak'azdli First Nation is made up of approximately 1700 on and off reserve members.
The Nak’azdli Housing Department is striving to maintain financially sustainable housing for its membership by utilizing the different options of housing available through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and through the different housing options (Section 10, Section 95, Subsidy, Band Owned Rental and Social Housing).
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Nak’azdli Band Housing Department works with CMHC, Financial Institutions, District of Fort St. James, Insurance Companies, Contractors and Construction Business, Inspectors and Health Board as well as with other Band Staff, tenants and membership. The Housing Department is open to considering alternative resources for renovation dollars for the Band and the Membership to access throughout the year.
The Nak’azdli Band is developing a long-term Nak’azdli Community Plan Framework. The planning process was initiated in July 2011 and continues moving forward. Nak’azdli Band will use the Plan Framework as a tool for improving community governance, decision-making and communication, as well as for building community and institutional capacity and improving infrastructure planning and development on Nak'azdli Band reserve lands.
The Nak’azdli Housing Committee works in partnership with the Nak’azdli Band Council and community members to provide safe and affordable housing on reserve to all eligible Band members and to operate the on reserve housing program through a fair and equitable application of housing policies. The Committee is to develop a five-year housing plan and submit it to the Band Council and update it a minimum of every two years.
Adjacent to the Heathmont Neighbourhood west of the Mackenzie Highway is an area also known as the Mission Lands. It is outside of the Urban Containment Boundary. The property is owned by Ranchery Holdings (and is currently in the process of becoming part of the Indian Reserve). It is the intention of the Nak’azdli Band that the Mission Lands be planned to achieve land use harmony with surrounding land uses.
The Nak'azdli Band and District of Fort St. James have been meeting over the past few years to find solutions in improving communications and decision-making. On January 17, 2013 the two levels of government met to discuss how their respective governance processes work and to identify solutions on improving issues related to housing, crime prevention and decision-making. Both the Nak'azdli Band and District of Fort St. James are committed to working on formal agreements such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Communications Protocol.
Fort St. James and Nak’azdli Band share an interest in developing housing or seeing housing developed to meet needs not currently being met. The Nak’azdli Band has expressed interest in working jointly with the District on addressing seniors housing, palliative care, social and rental housing needs and new development in the Fort St James area.
5. MUNICIPAL ROLES AND TOOLS
5.1 Roles
Municipalities have choices in the roles they can play to address local housing needs. These roles include:
• Research, Monitoring and Reporting • Community Education • Advocacy • Policy Development • Administrative Changes • Regulatory Changes • Financial and Tax Incentives • Direct Provision • Public/Private Partnerships
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5.2 Affordable Housing Tools
Within each of the municipal roles, various tools can be used to help meet affordable housing needs in a community. Tools include:
• Zoning/Inclusionary Zoning • Housing Fund • Incentives • Acquisition and Renovation (Adaptive Reuse) • Density Bonus • Rental Conversion By-laws • Municipal Fee Reductions • Adaptable Design Guidelines • Expedited Approval Process • Infill housing • Zoning Variances • Secondary Suites • Housing Agreements • Land Banking • Tax Exemptions
5.2.1 Zoning /Inclusionary Zoning
Policy Objective To designate areas that would provide housing that may be beneficial but are currently lacking in the community.
Relevant Legislation The Local Government Act permits zoning for amenities and affordable housing; however only if the owner of the property consents as stated in S. 904 (3).
Local Government Act – Zoning
904 (1) A zoning bylaw may
(a) Establish different density regulations for a zone, one generally applicable for the zone and the other or others to apply if the applicable conditions under paragraph (b) are met, and
(b) Establish conditions in accordance with subsection (2) that will entitle an owner to a higher density under paragraph (a).
(2) The following are conditions that may be included under subsection (1) (b): o Conditions relating to the conservation or provision of amenities, including number, kind and extent of amenities; o Conditions relating to the provision of affordable and special needs housing, as such housing is defined in the bylaw, including the number, kind and extent of the housing; o A condition that the owner enter into a housing agreement under section 905 before a building permit is issued in relation to property to which the condition applies.
(3) A zoning bylaw may designate an area within a zone for affordable or special needs housing, as such housing is defined in the bylaw, if the owners of the property covered by the designation consent to the designation.
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Consent can be obtained through a housing agreement. Local government can also require the developer to enter into a housing agreement before issuing a building permit. Section 905 of the Act prescribes that the housing agreements have terms and conditions regarding the occupancy, including but not limited to:
• Form of tenure; • Number of units available to target groups set in the agreement or bylaw; • Administration and management of the units; • Rents and lease, sale or share prices that may be charged, as well as the permitted increase over time.
Usually, the developer will donate the land or units to a non-profit society or an organization at arm’s length of the government. As the owner of the land, the society or organization may negotiate a housing agreement with the City to set the terms and conditions.
While the legislation enables municipalities to negotiate different densities for affordable housing with the developers, the Local Government Act does not empower local governments to ‘sell’ density. Section 903 (Zoning Bylaws) of the Act does not allow local governments to require amenities as part of regular rezoning. Density bonus regulations can be set in the zoning bylaw or crafted for site-specific situations.
Components of the Policy
A zoning bylaw must define what is meant by “affordable” or “special needs” housing. The bylaw may designate areas applicable under this zoning or each rezoning, and development applications may be considered on a case-by-case basis. It may have a guidelines on the type of development (in size, use and scale) and may require affordable and special needs housing or other amenity contribution.
Inclusionary zoning is a commonly adopted model of this policy.
Inclusionary Zoning is a regulation that requires a rezoning applicant to contribute to affordable housing in the proposed development. The overall goals of inclusionary zoning are:
• To ensure that a proportion of housing units in new developments is made affordable to low to moderate income households • To create mixed income communities and prevent exclusionary zoning practices.
Inclusionary zoning is a benefit that secures a city’s commitment to build affordable housing at the time of rezoning, before development begins. It also integrates affordable housing in new projects and throughout the community, if built on-site or within close proximity of the principal project.
The components of inclusionary zoning are:
• Target proportion or number of units to be affordable • Minimum project size – ‘policy trigger’ • Target household: income eligibility ceiling, household type • Maintaining affordability: deed restrictions or covenants may be placed on the housing units to ensure they will be affordable in the future.
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Depending on the local real estate market and the capacity of the municipality to apply inclusionary zoning without adverse affect to local development, the municipality may choose to adopt a variation of inclusionary policy.
The policy may be voluntary or mandatory. The developer may choose to include affordable units as defined by the city in their project; or it may choose to forgo and develop all market units. Several studies have shown that mandatory policies produced more affordable units than voluntary policies. The development community may prefer a voluntary policy as it is seen to be more flexible. Housing advocates prefer a mandatory policy because it is seen to provide more certainty on what will be achieved.
To ease the transition to a mandatory policy, the City of San Francisco initially adopted a voluntary policy. After about 10 years, a mandatory policy was adopted with an escalation over time for the unit requirement for affordable housing in new projects.
A municipality may give an option to the developer to make a payment in-lieu of delivering affordable units through the project. Some municipalities have adopted this option in recognition that some projects face unique challenges to developing affordable housing. For example, it may be more economically efficient for small projects on small lots to pay cash rather than include affordable units. The inclusionary policy may prescribe the conditions for payment in-lieu and determine a formula for the payment. The municipality may also carefully evaluate each project and offer the option for payment in-lieu as a last resort. The payment may be deposited into a municipal housing fund that can be accessed for various affordable housing initiatives.
The municipality may also give the option to the developer to build the units off-site, if there are challenges to building units in the project site. In addition, in order to protect the integrity of the policy for mixed-income neighbourhood, the city may require that the affordable units be built within close proximity of the principal project. This option may generate opportunities to increase the number of affordable units through lower land cost, partnership and other possibilities. However, it may also result in more complex project planning and delivery.
Municipalities should address project viability and developer profit in developing an inclusionary housing policy. Some projects may have difficulty meeting an inclusionary requirement, which may result in no units being built at all.
Inclusionary zoning may be more successful in producing affordable housing if it does not erode developer’s profit. David Rusk, a U.S. based advocate for the policy, argues that minimally the builder’s profit from the overall development should not be reduced by the inclusionary requirement; preferably the builder’s profit should be enhanced by a density bonus that can accompany the inclusionary requirement; and optimally the builder’s profit should be further enhanced by the density bonus and sale of both market and inclusionary non-market units. The greater the affordability of inclusionary units, the greater the subsidy required for the units and for the overall projects.
Fort St. James needs to identify its optimal inclusionary requirement that would meet the policy objectives with and without committing public subsidies for the project. The level of subsidy required will, in part, be determined by the target income of the people to be accommodated in the inclusionary units.
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5.2.2 Incentives
The municipality may also offer a set of incentives to encourage affordable housing to be provided or to offset the cost of building affordable housing in private developments. These may include: • Density bonus • Reduction or deferment of municipal fees • Expedited approval process.
Incentives are commonly used in voluntary inclusionary policies. However, CMHC’s review of Inclusionary Zoning programs concluded that incentive-based programs produce significantly less affordable housing than mandatory ones. (#46, 1999)
Density Bonus
A Density Bonus is an incentive tool in which the developer receives a greater amount of buildable space (density) in return for providing community amenities and/or affordable housing. Where local governments do not have authority to enact inclusionary zoning, they may have density bonus provisions instead. Density Bonus is an Incentive program, while inclusionary zoning is a regulative policy.
Density bonusing can be flexible and negotiated for each project, or it may be based on a set formula. In the latter case, the city would develop a clear formula to calculate the value of the land uplift and the value of the amenities that the project is to deliver. The city may maintain a shortlist of priority amenities for each site or communities. It may also prescribe a ceiling or maximum bonus for each site, zone or type of development.
Issues & considerations The use of zoning for amenities and affordable housing in British Columbia commonly takes the form of density bonus. As mentioned, the Local Government Act does not permit municipalities to require amenities; butmunicipalities can acquire amenity contributions including affordable housing contributions from developers, through the provision of a density bonus.
Many municipalities in BC have some form of density bonus scheme to encourage the development of affordable housing but only a few have a mandatory inclusionary policy. These include Langford, Whistler and Vancouver.
The City of Langford requires that one out of every ten single-family houses in a new subdivision be subsidized and constructed by the developer and sold under the Affordable Housing Program to eligible families.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s Employee Services Charge Bylaw works like an inclusionary zoning bylaw for commercial and tourist accommodation development. It requires the developer to provide employee restricted housing or pay cash in-lieu.
The City of Vancouver requires that 20% of residential units built in new neighbourhoods that underwent rezoning be non-market housing. Although the City is governed by the Vancouver Charter, its
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charter provisions for density bonusing and housing agreements in respect to the provision of affordable housing are essentially the same as the Local Government Act.
Without a direct authority to impose inclusionary zoning, all municipalities in British Columbia including Vancouver use a more flexible and negotiated approach to developing affordable housing via the private market and through partnerships with entities like BC Housing.
If Fort St James decides to use density bonusing as part of its housing strategy, the benefits are twofold: through increased density the municipality is able to achieve more efficient use of land, and units can be delivered through no direct cost or at a reduced cost to the municipality.
DCC Exemption or Reduction for non-market housing
Under Section 993.1 of the Local Government Act, the following developments are eligible for DCC to be waived or reduced under a by-law or regulation:
a) Not-for-profit rental housing, including supportive housing b) For-profit affordable rental housing c) A subdivision of small lots that is designed to result in low greenhouse gas emissions d) A development that is designed to result in a low environmental impact.
If DCC exemptions are to be used in Fort St James, the municipality must establish the exemption amount or rates of reduction, and it may be different for different categories of eligible developments.
Expedited Municipal Approval Process
Affordable housing projects could be designated as priority projects and all related municipal approvals (rezoning, development permit, building permit, etc.) could be fast tracked through the process, resulting in savings in development costs. This is a significant benefit to developers because a reduced processing time means less costs are incurred. The savings can be used to offer housing at a lower price.
5.2.3 Zoning Variances
OCP policies and its sub-plans should clearly express the support of zoning variances for affordable and supportive housing. Some of the options for variances are:
1) Accommodate smaller lot sizes, thereby reducing the cost of the land, increasing density which enables cost efficiency in city infrastructure 2) Reduce set backs or increase lot coverage to maximize use of land for housing 3) Allow multi-family use, such as co-housing in single-detached housing zones without changing the scale of the buildings in the neighbourhood 4) Reduce requirement for parking to free up more land for dwelling areas 5) Allow adaptive reuse of building for housing.
In a Housing Strategy Fort St. James can encourage the private development of affordable housing, through zoning variances.
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5.2.4 Housing Agreements
A municipality can negotiate with the landowner for the provision of affordable housing on a development site. The terms and conditions are then specified in a housing agreement, which is registered on the title of the property. A housing agreement has the same effect as a covenant that stipulates specific limitations to the use of that property. Housing agreements are used to restrict the unit occupancy to tenants who are low-income and/or living with addiction or disability or have other special housing needs. It may also be limited to seniors. Housing agreements are also used to preserve the affordability of the housing units over time.
Policy Objectives To ensure that developers build non-market housing units and that the units remain affordable to a target group (e.g. low-income households, key workers, persons with mental illness, physical disability or addiction, who have housing challenges).
Relevant Legislation A housing agreement can be registered on title as a covenant under Section 219 of the Land Title Act, which permits the registration of a covenant of a negative or positive nature in favour of a municipality in respect of the use of land.
A housing agreement is also enforceable by a bylaw under Section 905 of the Local Government Act.
Local Government Act - Housing agreements for Affordable and Special Needs Housing
905 (1) A local government may, by bylaw, enter into a housing agreement under this section. (2) A housing agreement may include terms and conditions agreed to by the local government and the owner regarding the occupancy of the housing units identified in the agreement, including but not limited to terms and conditions respecting one or more of the following: (a) the form of tenure of the housing units; (b) the availability of the housing units to classes of persons identified in the agreement or the bylaw under subsection (1) for the agreement; (c) the administration and management of the housing units, including the manner in which the housing units will be made available to persons within a class referred to in paragraph (b); (d) rents and lease, sale or share prices that may be charged, and the rates at which these may be increased over time, as specified in the agreement or as determined in accordance with a formula specified in the agreement. (3) A housing agreement may not vary the use or density from that permitted in the applicable zoning bylaw. (4) A housing agreement may only be amended by bylaw adopted with the consent of the owner. (5) If a housing agreement is entered into or amended, the local government must file in the land title office a notice that the land described in the notice is subject to the housing agreement.
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Components The housing agreement may specify the following: a) The number of affordable units available b) Form of tenure c) Tenant qualifications & selection process d) Administration and management of the housing units e) Rents to be charged, allowable rent increase over time (tied to consumer price index or set as a percentage below comparable market rate) f) Ownership units should include a formula for determining price restriction.
When the municipality signs a housing agreement with a non-profit housing society or developer, the society or developer will typically select the tenants and administer/manage the units. Determining the value of lease or rent, and allowable annual increases are usually jointly determined. If the affordable units are for ownership, then the onus may be on the municipality to screen eligible owners and to enforce the housing agreements and relevant covenants on title.
The housing agreement is registered on title using Form C to have effect through the Land Titles Act. The housing agreement may also be passed as a bylaw through council approval.
Issues & Considerations Some restrictive covenants may impede the owner’s ability to attain financing for the project. For example, restriction on stratifying the units in multi-family housing may disqualify a non-profit housing owner from getting a development loan or mortgage. Likewise, a covenant that requires the property to remain as low income housing in perpetuity impairs the owner’s ability to gain full value for its property in the future. This can be a challenge for a non-profit housing society or co-op that may wish to maintain some level of flexibility for future needs. In addition, when a funding partner like BC Housing is involved, there may be additional requirements and caveats to consider in negotiating an agreement.
In many cases, the municipality permits higher density for residential development in return for the desired housing on site through the housing agreement. The municipality may offer other incentives to the developers when negotiating for a housing agreement.
In addition to the housing agreement which stipulates the occupancy and use, the Right of First Refusal/Option to Purchase can also be registered on title to set the terms and conditions of resale. This ensures that if the owner chooses to sell the property, the municipality has the option to purchase the property and consider different avenues for maintaining affordability of the unit.
Fort St. James may need to amend the Official Community Plan to recognize the use of housing agreements and to support price restricted housing if it decides to consider housing agreements in its Housing Strategy.
5.2.5 Revitalization tax exemptions and permissive tax exemptions
Council may exempt taxes on certain projects or sites to encourage a development that achieves a range of environmental, economic or social objectives. A revitalization program may be area specific or target a certain type of properties or land use in the municipality. The program may be enacted by a local bylaw.
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Policy objectives Pertaining to affordable housing, objectives can include: • Stimulating residential development that includes affordable housing • Creating mixed-income neighbourhoods • Rehabilitating or redeveloping housing stock that is substandard or in disrepair
Relevant Legislation Part 7, Division 7 [Permissive Exemptions] of the Community Charter provides the general authority for permissive exemptions. Section 226 requires municipalities to develop a detailed program bylaw outlining the criteria and requirements for a revitalization tax exemption program.
All municipalities are required to develop objectives and policies within their 5-year financial plans in relation to the use of permissive tax exemptions (s.165(3.1)(c) of the Community Charter). The 5-year plan is a disclosure requirement meant to enhance municipal accountability.
Exemption only applies to municipal property taxes, not to school tax, parcel tax, utility fees or other taxes. It is not subject to Section 25 of the Community Charter (prohibition against assistance to business).
Components A permissive tax exemption program should include the following content: 1. Description of the reasons for, and the objectives of, the program 2. Description of how the program is intended to accomplish the objectives 3. Description of the kinds of property, or activities or circumstances related to the property that create eligibility for exemptions 4. Extent of the exemptions available (i.e. entire properties or portions of properties) 5. Amounts of exemptions, or formulas to determine the amounts, or both; and 6. Maximum term of the exemption, which may not be longer than 10 years (s. 226 (4) (f) Community Charter).
Prior to the adoption on an exemption bylaw, council must give public notice of the proposed bylaw.
Council may enter into an agreement with the owner of a property any requirement that must be met before an exemption certificate is issued. Once all of the requirements established in the bylaw and in the agreement have been met, a revitalization tax exemption certificate for the subject property must be issued and forwarded to BC Assessment to ensure exemption is taken into account in property valuation.
Issues and Considerations Affordable housing may be one of the requirements in the exemption agreement. The quantity and quality of the housing may be negotiated and specified as in a housing agreement. A restrictive covenant on title of the property can ensure that the property remains affordable for a period of time or in perpetuity. The municipality may also add provisions to the exemption agreement for a recapture amount (or penalties) that must be paid if the conditions specified in the certificate are not met.
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5.2.6 Housing Fund
A dedicated trust account for the development and maintenance of affordable housing can transform policy into deliverables. It can also be a way to separate affordable housing from a bundle of community amenities that the municipality strives to deliver. The fund must have a secure and reliable source.
Public Sources • Development fees (e.g. amenity charge or cash-in-lieu of inclusionary housing units) • Real estate tax or fees • Interest earned from government held accounts • Revenue from other government sources
Private Sources • Grants • Donations
A housing fund is allowable though section 188 of the Community Charter. The fund can be used in many ways, including pre-development funding, seed funding for non-profits, construction loan, homebuyer down payment or mortgage assistance, rental subsidy, counseling, research and program administration. Council must specify what it can and cannot fund in a housing fund bylaw.
5.2.7 Acquisition and Renovation (Adaptive Reuse)
Adaptive reuse means adapting an existing, economically obsolete building for a new, more productive purpose. Cities can acquire existing buildings and renovate them into affordable housing. For example, the City of Winnipeg has acquired abandoned or dilapidated houses in the inner city and turned them into modest homes for singles and families. The City of Vancouver has purchased single room occupancy hotels that were often made unsuitable for habitation due to lack of maintenance and repair. Once renovated the city is able to preserve it as rental housing for single residents. Building can be renovated one floor at a time to minimize the dislocation of residents. Surplus or outmoded buildings such as schools, inns, churches, and warehouses may be good candidates for conversion into affordable housing. It can preserve the heritage aspect of the architecture and stimulate economic investment in areas. In some cases, land may need to be remediated which would add significant cost to development. Therefore, due diligence on the history of use on the land should be completed before consideration.
5.2.8 Protection of Rental Properties
A municipality may adopt a Rental Conversion Policy if the vacancy rate is well below a set target for a number of years. For example, the City of Vancouver has a 1:1 replacement policy for conversion or rezoning of existing rental housing units. The policy may apply citywide or in specific areas such as multi- family zones and town centres. An operations plan for ongoing monitoring & reporting should accompany the policy.
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6. HOUSING STRATEGY
In developing its Housing Strategy, the District of Fort St. James recognizes that all residents of the municipality should have access to suitable and appropriate housing with necessary supports to serve the needs of a diverse population.
To meet the housing needs of its current and future residents, the District of Fort St. James desires to manage its resources effectively and lever its resources with those of the private sector, housing societies, service groups, agencies and other levels of government.
In summary the issues of specific relevance to Fort St. James include:
• Attracting Developers and Promoting Fort St. James • Addressing Housing Needs – o Seniors Housing o Aboriginal Housing o Maintaining and Increasing the Supply of Rental Housing o Affordable Housing for First-Time Buyers o Emergency Housing • Planning and Financial • Monitoring
As outlined in this report, the municipality has a host of tools that can be used to address affordable housing issues. The following table summarizes the recommended tools to address these issues.
Suggested Tools for Development & Preservation of Affordable Housing
Tools Recommended Action Official Community Plan Provisions Additional policies needed to support affordable housing Inclusionary zoning Draft strategy and time frame for implementation Density bonus Draft report and time frame for implementation Housing agreements Draft agreement Permissive tax exemptions Review for applicability Zoning variances Develop OCP policies to permit variances to support affordable housing Acquisition and Renovation (adaptive Undertake study of District facilities and adjacent lands reuse) Expedited Municipal Approval Process Develop policy and implement DCC By-Law Draft for Infill development Rental conversion bylaws Develop by-laws Adaptable Design Guidelines Develop guidelines Infill housing Undertake study to document development potential Secondary Suites Consider waiving fees for secondary suites and incentivize procedures Land Banking Develop inventory of potential development sites Housing Fund Develop policy and implementation plan
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It is recommended that the District establish priorities for addressing the issues and undertake specific actions to deliver housing in response to emerging economic conditions. This may include proposals ranging from specific policies and protocols to the creation of new corporate entities.
The following strategies are proposed:
1. Undertake an assessment of the institutional infrastructure in place within the District and within community organizations to deal with housing issues
2. Promote development opportunities in Fort St. James and encourage senior government and industry cooperation in support of projects that complement Fort St. James’ housing objectives
3. Work in partnership to develop needed housing
4. Maintain a municipal planning system that supports the delivery of an adequate supply of affordable housing and is responsive to changing demand
5. Maintain a municipal financial system that supports the delivery of an adequate supply of affordable housing and is responsive to changing demand, including developing a land bank and housing reserve
6. Facilitate diversity in housing forms and prices to deliver a range of affordable housing options for all residents by offering incentives to develop needed housing and supporting the retention and delivery of adequate supplies of private rental properties
7. Monitor the housing situation and regularly evaluating the need for adjustments to the Strategy.
Objectives and actions to address each of these areas are proposed below. These need to be discussed with the community and priorities, milestones and responsibility to implement need to be identified.
6.1 Assess Institutional Infrastructure
An assessment of the institutional infrastructure in place within the District to deal with housing issues is needed because there is a gap not being filled by the private sector in meeting housing needs. In small communities, the municipal government often needs to take on greater involvement in addressing issues because it is a focus for residents. Community organizations are especially important in small communities as they encourage leadership. Leaders in religious and educational organizations also often contribute to achieving community needs. The Town’s Housing Committee brings many of these groups together and would be a good venue to implement this strategy.
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STRATEGY 1: Undertake an assessment of the institutional infrastructure in place within the District and within community organizations to deal with housing issues
# Objective Action 1.1 Understand community • Inventory municipal departments, community agencies, service contributions providers, organizations and educational and religious institutions interest and possible contributions in addressing housing issues
1.2 Support the community • Promote partnerships with agencies and providers to housing sector to enable it encourage integration of objectives and make best use of to grow and to meet the limited funding opportunities housing needs of people • Focus on the community housing sector as affordable housing with low incomes and provider for people with low to moderate incomes & special other special needs needs • Make affordable housing fund grants and/or loans available for non-profit housing projects • Develop an inventory of other government and agency land • Make surplus municipal land available to housing providers for special needs and affordable housing development
6.2 Promote development opportunities
The attractiveness and strengths of Fort St. James for new residents and the opportunities for developers to build housing for existing and potential new residents need to be promoted. Features of Fort James that could attract residents and investment include:
• Fort St. James residents are known to be hardworking and proud of where they live and what they've accomplished over the years • Residents love the geographic icons of the area such as Stuart Lake and Mount Pope, and revel in the recreation opportunities around them • The National Hockey League have developed in Fort St. John • Many artists and painters live in the community • There are many attractive and interesting local events that enliven the community, such as o Murray Ridge's Slush Cup and bathtub races in March o Stuart Lake Fishing Derby o Cottonwood Music Festival o Fort St. James National Historic Site o Historical buildings in town o Hundreds of lakes and rivers suited to many water activities, and expansive rolling hills and forests for hiking and mountain biking.
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STRATEGY 2: Promote development opportunities in Fort St James and encourage senior government and industry cooperation in support of projects that complement Fort St. James’ housing objectives
# Objective Action 2.1 Develop and improve the Fort • Implement recommendations in the District’s Marketing Opportunities St. James brand Plan to develop a “Made in Fort St. James” brand that promotes the attributes of the community
2.2 Increase the profile of the • Develop a welcome to Fort St. James portal on the District website community • Develop a community brochure that attracts and informs residents and visitors and provide it on-line at the portal
• Provide community profile information at the portal
• Provide a link to real estate listing websites
2.3 Demonstrate leadership in • Ensure that local housing priorities are included in the regional, provincial advocating for diverse and federal housing discussions, policies and programs housing in partnership with • Invite local MPs and MLAs to inter-governmental dialogue on housing development industry and homelessness, and the ways in which all orders of government will
work together to developing housing • Advocate for the federal and provincial governments to invest in the non- profit housing providers acquiring and renovating apartments to provide sustainable and affordable rental housing • Document housing needs of Fort St. James residents on housing waiting lists and advocate for government funding for assisted family housing in integrated market and non-profit developments • Advocate for affordable integrated housing for people with physical and developmental challenges • Advocate for improved opportunities for affordable entry homeownership • Advocate that senior government funding be aligned with local needs for affordable housing and focus on permanent solutions to homelessness
2.4 Develop a Positive Working • Convene a meeting with developers to discuss the issues and challenges Relationship with the they face in developing in Fort St. James Development Industry • Attend industry events to promote attributes of Fort St. James
2.5 Ensure a sufficient supply of • Develop an inventory of government, non-profit provider and service land to meet future needs agency lands
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6.3 Working in Partnership to Develop Affordable Housing
Fort St. James and Nak’azdli Band share an interest in developing housing or seeing housing developed to meet needs not currently being met. The Nak’azdli Band has expressed interest in working jointly with the District on addressing seniors housing, palliative care, social and rental housing needs and new development in the Fort St James area.
A group is also looking at creating a seniors co-op in the community, have signed up members and have completed a survey and are developing a proposal to develop a housing project.
Strategy 3: Work in Partnership to Develop Affordable Housing
# Objective Action 3.1 A mutually supportive • Review priorities with the Nak’azdli Band to identify shared needs relationship with the • Establish a sub-committee of the Band’s Housing Committee and the Aboriginal community to District’s Housing Committee to focus on developing a joint venture meet housing needs housing project that meets Fort St. James’s and the Band’s housing requirements • Expand membership of the Housing sub-committee to include business community representatives to work together with the District and Band to develop the project. • Consider developing a mixed-use project in the town center that incorporates rental housing and ownership housing to achieve a feasible project size. • Provide a site for the project and waive District fees and charges to reduce development costs and increase affordability • Pool resources on developing a proposal for government funding
3.2 A mutually supportive • Support the investigation of the feasibility of developing a Seniors Co-op relationship with the • Provide a site for the project and waive District fees and charges to residents to meet housing reduce development costs and increase affordability needs of seniors
3.3 A mutually supportive • Consider retaining a shared equity position in the development of mine relationship with the new lands returned to the District partners to meet housing • Explore relationship with Habitat for Humanity to develop affordable needs ownership housing
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6.4 Maintaining a municipal planning system that supports affordable housing
A municipality can effectively influence the provision of affordable housing through its planning and development policies, by-laws and standards and through its development review process.
STRATEGY 4: Maintain a municipal planning system that supports affordable housing
# Objective Action 4.1 Official Community Plan • Develop the City-wide affordable housing targets for affordable ownership and provisions implement the affordable rental housing for low, medium and high densities Affordable Housing • Require developers to demonstrate how they will achieve affordability targets Strategy • Establish policies providing incentives for affordable housing • Establish a Housing First Policy to allow surplus City-owned lands to be offered to non-profit housing groups for affordable housing • Establish an inclusionary zoning policy
4.2 Optimum use of Local • Develop Zoning provisions for affordable housing under Section 904 Government Act planning • Develop a Housing Agreement template for affordable and special needs provisions for affordable housing using provisions under Section 905 housing
4.3 Reduced barriers to • Review the Zoning By-laws and development standards, such as parking affordable housing requirements and setbacks, and make necessary amendments development • Establish policy to support zoning variances for affordable housing development that increases affordability • Expedite approval process for priority housing development applications
4.4 Increased production of • Identify opportunities to develop Infill Housing and prepare Infill Guidelines affordable housing to • Align new affordable housing development with neighbourhood planning meet needs • Require affordable housing to be provided as part of mixed use community development applications • Develop Adaptable Housing Design Guidelines • Explore the feasibility of developing a Fort St. James’s density bonus system to provide developers with additional density in exchange for providing affordable housing contributions
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6.5 Maintaining a municipal financial system that supports affordable housing
A municipality can effectively influence the provision of affordable housing through its financial policies, taxes and fees charged. One of the most significant advantages a municipality has to assist in the development of affordable housing is municipally owned land.
STRATEGY 5: Maintain a municipal financial system that supports the delivery of an adequate supply of affordable housing and is responsive to changing demand
# Objective Action 5.1 Optimum use of Local • Commission a study of revitalization tax exemptions and permissive tax Government Act provisions exemptions to determine how they can be implemented in Fort St. James for affordable housing 5.2 A supportive environment • Create DCC By-Law to encourage affordable • Consider Fee Reductions or waivers for affordable housing housing development 5.3 Efficient and effective use • Establish an Affordable Housing Fund of public and community • Establish an annual contribution to maintain the Affordable Housing Fund to assets for affordable support additional affordable housing construction housing • Establish formal review criteria, eligibility and application process for the
consideration of affordable and social housing projects • Use the municipal investment in affordable housing as leverage with other orders of government • Index municipal investment in affordable housing to inflation over time 5.4 An effective municipal land • Develop an inventory of municipal land and identify sites appropriate for bank affordable housing development • Advocate that land owned by the federal or provincial government deemed surplus be provided to the municipality or to a non-profit housing provider as sites for affordable housing development, or sold to the private sector, with the City being the sole beneficiary of the funds gained from the sale, to be used exclusively for affordable housing development • Bank land not immediately needed for affordable initiatives in the future • Include land in-lieu contributions from developers in municipal land bank 5.5 Increase the supply of • Identify appropriate development sites and/or opportunities for affordable special needs housing housing for: • Seniors • People with low incomes • People with physical and/or developmental challenges • People with mental illness • People with addiction challenges • Women and children fleeing abuse • Youth • Support special needs affordable housing providers in seeking funding from other governments or philanthropic organizations to develop housing
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6.6 Facilitating diversity in housing forms and prices
The availability of a range of housing options is a sign of a healthy community. Diversity is essential for economic growth and prosperity and is an important part of the social and economic infrastructure.
STRATEGY 6: Facilitate diversity in housing forms and prices to deliver innovative, affordable housing for all residents
# Objective Action 6.1 Increase the supply of • Document the existing supply of affordable housing in Fort St. James affordable housing • Establish targets for affordable housing for emergency, transitional, supportive, social, rental and ownership housing
6.2 Increase diversity in housing • Identify development sites throughout the City that support a mix of stock housing types to enhance provision of affordable and accessible housing
• Identify opportunities for secondary suite development and prepare design and development guidelines • Support the development of a pilot project where a non-profit incorporates a shared equity scheme for eligible tenants and home buyers, as part of its business model in a new housing development • Maintain and enhance the role of supported accommodation providers to ensure people at risk of homelessness, on low incomes, with special needs or requiring emergency accommodation are able to be appropriately housed with no or minimal delay, and if appropriate, assisted to move to longer term rental accommodation
6.3 Protect the existing rental • Develop an inventory of purpose-built residential development and analyze stock redevelopment potential • Develop and implement a Rental Conversion By-law • Establish a standard of maintenance bylaw
6.4 Encourage secondary suite • Evaluate the Secondary Suite Registration By-law and recommend development improvements • Provide incentives for secondary suite development in new housing development
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6.7 Monitoring the implementation of the Housing Strategy
STRATEGY 7: Monitor the housing situation, communicate with residents and regularly evaluate the need for adjustments to the Strategy
# Objective Action 7.1 Ensure Fort St. James has • Monitor economic factors, housing market condition and the impact of access to accurate and significant changes to legislation, regulations, by-laws, etc., to identify current data on housing housing issues and trends
• Benchmark land development costs, housing prices, rental rates and vacancy rates • Establish a program of monitoring the delivery of affordable housing against targets • Conduct an inventory to determine the different types and numbers of persons in Fort St. James with special housing needs and determine the number of units required to house those persons, including persons who are homeless
7.2 Ensure the Housing Strategy • Monitor Implementation of the Housing Strategy is current and relevant • Dedicate a portion of housing fund to ‘best practice' housing policy research and conduct research
7.3 A single point of access for • Support the establishment of a Housing Resource Centre tenants, landlords, builders, developers and the general public to obtain information about housing, housing issues housing related legislation and programs
7.4 Increase public awareness of • Develop and implement a community education and outreach action affordable housing issues in plan for residents of Fort St. James Fort St. James
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REFERENCES
BC Housing website
CMHC “Affordable Housing Ideas” http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/afhoce/tore/afhoid/
Central Florida Workforce Housing Tool Kit. “Housing Tools” http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/workforcehousing/HousingTools.htm
City of White Rock. “Policy: Municipal Property Tax Exemptions.” FINANCE - NO. 317 Approved by Council Resolution No. 2007-410. September 2007. http://www.city.whiterock.bc.ca/2005Financial- Services/Policy_317.pdf
City of Victoria. “Permissive Property Tax Exemptions.” April 6, 2009 http://www.victoria.ca/common/pdfs/property-tax-permissive-exemption.pdf
Fort St. James Official Community Plan
Fort St. James website
Keyowski, Holly, Fort St. James Seniors Housing, 2010
Ministry of Community and Rural Development. “Permissive Tax Exemptions.” http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/gov_structure/community_charter/finance/permissive_exemptions.htm
Ministry of Community Services. January 2008. “Permissive Tax Exemptions: A Primer on the Provisions in the Community Charter.” http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/gov_structure/library/community_charter_revital_tax_exemptions.pdf
Ministry of Finance, British Columbia Financial and Economic Review (August 2013)
Ministry of Forests and Range, Housing Department. (2005) Local Government Guide for Improving Market Housing Affordability.
Nak’azdli website
Smart Growth BC (2008), Creating Market and Non-market Affordable Housing: A Smart Growth Toolkit for BC Municipalities
Smart Growth BC (2007), Review of Best Practices in Affordable Housing
Ed Starr and Christine Pacini, (2001) The Municipal Role in Meeting Ontario’s Affordable Housing Needs - A Handbook for Preparing a Community Strategy For Affordable Housing
Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy
Vogt, source: Rebecca, “Engaging your Community to Attract and Retain New Residents, #18 University of Nebraska
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Housing Form Definitions - Fort St James Zoning By-law
APARTMENT BUILDING "Apartment building" means a building designed and constructed to contain three or more separate dwelling units, each of which has an independent entrance either directly from outside the building or through a common vestibule. (This definition includes buildings referred to as three-plexes, four-plexes, six-plexes, and the like.)
BOARDING, LODGING, OR ROOMING HOUSE "Boarding, lodging, or rooming house” means a dwelling in which sleeping units are rented with or without meals being provided, to other than members of the family of the lessee, tenant or owner and excluding the preparation of meals within the rented sleeping rooms.
DUPLEX "Duplex" means a building divided into two dwelling units, each of which has a separate entrance and which is occupied or intended to be occupied as a permanent home or residence of not more than one family.
DWELLING "Dwelling" means a building, occupied exclusively as a home, residence or sleeping place by one or more persons, but shall not include hotels, motels, auto courts, motor hotels or institutions.
DWELLING, SINGLE FAMILY "Dwelling, single family" means a building consisting of not more than one dwelling unit which is occupied or intended to be occupied as a permanent home or residence of one family.
DWELLING, TWO FAMILY "Dwelling, two family" means a building divided into not more than two dwelling units, each of which has a separate entrance and which is occupied or intended to be occupied as a permanent home or residence of not more than one family.
DWELLING UNIT "Dwelling unit" means one or more habitable rooms constituting a self-contained unit with separate entrance and used or intended to be used for living and sleeping purposes for not more than one family, and containing not more than one set of cooking facilities.
FAMILY "Family" means one person, or two or more persons who are interrelated by bonds of consanguinity, marriage or legal adoption, or a group of not more than five unrelated persons occupying a dwelling unit.
GROUP HOUSING "Group housing" means a block of three (3) or more attached one family dwelling units located on a single lot in the form of rows, clusters of groups, with each dwelling unit having its own exterior access at ground level, sharing one or more party walls and having its own separate patio, garden and/or sharing a common courtyard, and may include adult housing and strata title developments.
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REST HOME "Rest home" means a boarding home or other institution, excluding hospitals, where food or lodging, together with care or attention are furnished with or without charge, for two or more persons, who, on account of age, infirmity, physical or mental disability, require attention or care, except in a home maintained by a person to whom the inhabitants are related by blood or marriage.
ROW HOUSING "Row housing" means a block of at least three and not more than six side-by-side one family dwelling units, with each dwelling unit on a separate lot attached to its neighbour at its side, and in which each family dwelling unit shall be separated from each other by a party wall.
TRANSITION HOUSE “Transition house” means a facility licensed or authorized by the applicable agency that provides food and lodging with or without charge to two or more persons: a) who have experienced violence or are at risk of experiencing violence and require temporary housing; or b) being treated under the Mental Health Act; or c) receiving foster home services under the Child, Family and Community Service Act; or d) receiving personal care, supervision, social or educational training or physical or mental rehabilitative therapy under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act; but does not include any portion of: e) a public or private school; or f) a facility licensed under the Hospital Act; or g) a home designated or approved as a detention home under the Correction Act.
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