Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Needs Assessment prepared for the Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Committee June 2009 prepared by Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Needs Assessment prepared for the Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Committee by Housing Strategies Inc. Matthew MacNeil, MEDes (Planning), Principal June 2009 Donor and DonorsGrantor Recognition The Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Committee would sincerely like to thank all those who have contributed to the Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Needs Assessment. Special thanks go to the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), Chinook Health Region Population Health (CHR), the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass , and ClansWest Development Ltd. (Ironstone Lookout), for their generous financial support. Also, many thanks to the Southern Alberta Sustainable Communities Initiative (SASCI) for their logistical help and support and Best Canadian Motor Inns (BCMI) in Blairmore for donating conference room meeting spaces. Finally, thank you to all the volunteers, organizations, and individuals that have selflessly donated their time, energy and support to this wonderful community initiative. ThankAcknowledgements You Housing Strategies Inc. would like to thank the following people for their participation in this initiative: Current Members of the Crowsnest Affordable Housing Committee: Shirley Blume Dan Breier, Co Chair Holly Geworsky Adele McKernan, Co Chair John Prince John Salus Carmelia Saretsky Shane Stewart Councilor Dean Ward, Municipal Representative Past Members of the Crowsnest Affordable Housing Committee: Bonnie Castellarin Joanne Cole Jordan Gail Francine Kilgannon Bill Little The Southern Alberta Sustainable Communities Initiative (SASCI) for acting as fiscal agent for this initiative. Mayor and Council of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass: Mayor John Irwin Councilor Dave Cole Councilor Ian MacLeod Councilor Larry Mitchell Councilor John Salus Councilor Gary Taje Councilor Dean Ward All the citizens, service groups, agencies and local business owners who provided their invaluable input by participating in the Focus Group Meetings and Key Person Interviews: Janne Aikins Pam Hellevang Peter McKernan Marcus Beck Sgt. Scott Howard Maureen Miller Bonita Bourlon Billy Hruby Geoff Morgan Diana Bramer Ruth Jewell John Prince Dan Breier Lydia Johnston Carmellia Saretzky Richard Buckle Carmen Kenney Alannah Stepa Bev Cole Rae Kubik Shane Stewart Judy Cooke Shar Lazzarotto Dale Wadstein Brandie Fast Gordon Lundy Dean Ward Bill Field Val MacLeod Susan Wagner Robert Garnier Lory Mansion Meleena Westarod Holly Geworsky Adele McKernan James Woodall The 41 individuals and households who participated in the online SurveyMonkey survey between May 11 and May 31, 2009. ContentsTable of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... es: i Chapter 1: Introduction & Background.........................................................................................1 Chapter 2: About The Crowsnest Pass........................................................................................5 Chapter 3: Population And Household Income Analysis ..............................................................9 Chapter 4: Housing Supply Analysis..........................................................................................33 Chapter 5: Housing Needs Analysis ..........................................................................................57 Chapter 6: Community Impact Analysis.....................................................................................89 Appendix A: Comparison of the Individual Communities Within the Crowsnest Pass Appendix B: Focus Group Meeting Feedback Appendix C: Online Survey Results Appendix D Comparison of Homeownership vs. Rental Rates in Communities Throughout Alberta Appendix E Data Sources and Limitations Appendix F Glossary of Common Housing Terms SummaryExecutive Summary 1.0 Purpose The Crowsnest Affordable Housing Committee – a group of local volunteers and community representatives – has engaged Housing Strategies Inc. of Calgary, Alberta to conduct an Affordable Housing Needs Assessment for the community. The findings from this study will help to: Identify current affordable housing needs in the Crowsnest Pass, Build greater understanding about local housing issues and related challenges; and Provide direction to the Municipality and other interested stakeholders in terms of local affordable housing needs, priorities and potential annual housing targets. A Needs Assessment is often a necessary pre-requisite for obtaining Federal and Provincial funding (e.g., capital grants) for new affordable housing projects. 2.0 Methodology The methodology used to develop the Crowsnest Pass Affordable Housing Needs Assessment combined quantitative (statistical) data analysis with targeted Key Person Interviews and Focus Group Meetings (qualitative analyses) in order to identify and explore: - es: i - Population and demographic trends; Household incomes; Housing availability (housing supply, form and tenure including market, near- market and non-market housing); Housing issues related to adequacy, suitability, affordability and accessibility; Other indicators of housing/economic hardship where data was available; and Impacts that the community may be experiencing as a result of declining housing affordability and choice. The focus of the following report is to provide a summary of the quantitative (statistical) data analysis prior to engaging the broader in the targeted Key Person Interviews and Focus Group Meetings. The findings in this report will help elicit greater feedback from the community by providing residents and stakeholders with tangible facts and observations to which they can respond. 3.0 Key Findings to Date 3.1 Population Growth According to Statistics Canada Census data, the population of the Crowsnest Pass has declined by 13.9% (approximately 930 individuals) over the past fifteen years while the province as a whole has grown by 29.3%. New residents continue to move to the Crowsnest Pass which means that people are leaving the community at a faster rate than people are moving into the community. One plausible dynamic that may be causing the population of the Crowsnest Pass to continue to decline is the growth of the recreational property market. As residents of the Pass sell their homes and leave the community (for any combination of reasons presented above), an increasing number of those homes are being purchased by recreational property investors – people who do not move into community and become full-time residents. If current population trends continue, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass could potentially see its population decline to between 5,300 and 4,975 permanent residents by 2015 and between 5,070 and 4,590 residents by 2020. 3.2 Demographic Changes In addition to population decline, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass has experienced a shift in the age characteristics of its permanent population. According to Statistics Canada Census data, between 1996 and 2006, the total number of: Infants (ages 0-4 years) declined by 41.5%; Children (ages 5-14 years) declined by 31.0%; Youth (ages 15-19 years) declined by 24.4%; Young adults (ages 20-24 years) declined by 25.0%; Adults (ages 25-54 years) declined by 12.7%; and Early seniors (ages 65-74 years) declined by 12.5%; - es: ii - At the same time, the total number of: Empty-nesters (ages 55-64 years) increased by 50.8%; and Older seniors (ages 75 and over) increased by 20.6%. Population data also shows a net decline in the number of couple households and lone-parent households (consistent with population decline) since 1996 and a net increase in the number of one-person households (despite population decline). This data suggests that the Crowsnest Pass is losing families but gaining single individuals. 3.3 Income Levels According to Statistics Canada Taxfiler data, between 2001 and 2006, the median income for couple families living in the Crowsnest Pass increased by 34.1% (from $56,000 to $75,100) while the median income for lone-parent families increased by 40.9% (from $25,200 to $35,500). The median income for non-family persons (single individuals) also increased by 23.5% (from $18,700 to $23,100). Despite these increases, households in the Crowsnest Pass consistently earn lower average incomes than similar households across the province. 3.4 Housing Supply The Crowsnest Pass has a significantly higher percentage of single-detached houses than the province as a whole but significantly lower percentages of all other dwelling types than the province as a whole. Approximately 90% of homes within the community are single-detached houses followed by apartment buildings (5.9%) and “other dwellings” – presumably mobile homes and residential suites within commercial buildings (2.9%). The majority of homes within the Crowsnest Pass are also owner-occupied – which is consistent with most communities across the province. In 2006, an estimated 85.6% of homes were owned and an estimated 14.4% of homes were rented. Since 1996, however, the total number of rental units in the community has declined by 24.6% (from 505 in 1996 to 380 in 2006) – a loss of approximately 125 homes available to renters. Anecdotal evidence derived from a series of key person interviews suggests that landlords are gradually “getting out of the business” of providing rental housing not only because