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County of Simcoe Housing Needs Assessment & Recommended Housing Policies and Programs

County of Simcoe Housing Needs Assessment & Recommended Housing Policies and Programs. Presentation to Human Services Committee May 8 th 2007. Overview. Study Background and Approach Key Housing Issues Strategic Directions & Recommendations. Background - Study Objectives.

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County of Simcoe Housing Needs Assessment & Recommended Housing Policies and Programs

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  1. County of SimcoeHousing Needs Assessment & Recommended Housing Policies and Programs Presentation to Human Services Committee May 8th 2007

  2. Overview • Study Background and Approach • Key Housing Issues • Strategic Directions & Recommendations

  3. Background - Study Objectives • Overall objectives of the study are to: • identify the supply and demand for housing in Simcoe County, including the separated Cities of Barrie and Orillia, across the entire continuum of housing • make recommendations on policies and programs to address short and long-term housing needs

  4. Background - Study Phases Phase One: Housing Needs Assessment Conduct Information Sharing with Steering Committee Administer Housing Survey & Conduct Interviews Analyze Housing Demand and Supply & Identify Gaps Prepare Draft Housing Needs Assessment Report Conduct Consultation Phase Two: Recommendations on Policies & Programs Identify Impediments and Opportunities Develop Draft Housing Recommendations Conduct Consultation Prepare Monitoring Report Finalize Reports

  5. Background - Study Approach • Collaborative effort • Work overseen by a Steering Committee comprised County staff: • Terry Talon, General Manager of Social Services Division • Cathy Kytayko, Manager of Social Housing Division • Greg Bishop, Manager of Children & Community Services • Doriano Calvano, Program Supervisor, Social Services Department • John Connell, Program Supervisor, Social Housing Division • Ian Bender, Director of Planning, Planning Division • June Little, Planner III, Planning Division

  6. Background - Study Approach • Approximately 97 individuals/community groups participated in the study • Surveys – sent 100 surveys to community groups across Simcoe County and posted on County website with approximately 61 completed surveys returned • Telephone Interviews – conducted 10 telephone interviews • Housing Resource Centre Focus Group – held focus group with representatives from 6 Housing Resource Centres from across the County and Habitat for Humanity • Consultation Sessions – held consultation sessions on draft reports --- 51 individuals attended the first session (November 2006) and about 60 individuals attended the second session (April 2007)

  7. Background - Study Approach • Analysis based on: • Published data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, Services Canada, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Community and Social Services, County of Simcoe (various departments), Barrie Real Estate Board, etc. • Custom tabulations of Statistics Canada data • Survey of emergency, transitional and supportive housing providers, as well as other key stakeholders • Interviews with key informants • Focus group with representatives from Housing Help Centres Across the County as well as Habitat for Humanity

  8. Phase 1: Analysis of Demand & Supply • Demographic Profile • Existing Housing Supply • Homeownership Market • Rental Housing Market • Special Needs Housing • Potential Changes in Housing Supply • Key Housing Issues

  9. Phase 1: Key Housing Issues • Based on the analysis of demand and supply, a number of current and future challenges were identified that can be considered as the potential housing issues and concerns which become the primary focus of the Recommended Policies and Programs.

  10. Key Issue #1 • Changing demographic, social and economic trends point to the need for a more diverse and flexible housing supply

  11. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply • Strong growth in population and number of households expected to continue: • Simcoe County experienced 30.6% growth in population from 1991 to 2001 • Based on Provincial Growth Plan, Simcoe County is expected to reach a population of 667,000 by 2031 • Number of households is expected to increase to 249,400 by 2026; an increase of 112,652 households or 82.4% (Hemson, 2004)

  12. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply • County experienced growth in diverse industry sectors: • those that tend to be higher paying such as manufacturing and construction • lower paying industry sectors such as retail trade and accommodation and food services

  13. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply • Considerable variation in income levels across the County • northern municipalities experiencing lower incomes • Growth in smaller household size: • number of one and two-person households represent over half (53.9%) the total number of households within the County

  14. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply Comparison of Average Household Income by Municipality and Ontario, 2000 Incomes Source: Statistics Canada; 2001 Census of Canada

  15. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply Trends in Persons Per Household, Simcoe County, 1991-2001 Source: Statistics Canada; 1991, 1996, 2001 Census of Canada

  16. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply • Strong relationship between tenure and age • younger household maintainers and seniors are more likely to be renters than those in the middle age ranges

  17. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply Households by Age of Maintainer and Tenure, Simcoe County, 1996-2001 Source: Statistics Canada, Custom Tabulation 1996 and 2001 Census

  18. Key Issue #1 – Need for more Diverse and Flexible Housing Supply • Despite these trends, analysis of the recent supply activity points to a focus on larger, ownership housing: • single detached dwellings comprised 76% of all dwellings within Simcoe County in 2001, much higher in some communities • building permits 2001 to 2005, 83% single detached • homeownership increased from 74% in 1991 to 78.5% in 2001

  19. Key Issue #2 • A range of housing and support service options are needed for the aging population, especially those at the lower income ranges

  20. Key Issue #2 – Housing and Support Services Needed for Aging Population • More than one in five persons in Simcoe County will be a senior by 2031 • Northern municipalities such as Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, Ramara and Orillia have a greater proportion of their population over the age of 65 • Wait time for a seniors requiring a one-bedroom subsidized unit in 2006 was between 15 months and almost five years • Overall vacancy rate in long-term care facilities is low (0.4%)

  21. Key Issue #2 – Housing and Support Services Needed for Aging Population Average Per Diem by Retirement Home Bed Type, Simcoe County, 2002-2004 • The cost of retirement homes, which do provide supports, is out of reach for many seniors, especially those with incomes of less than $30,000 per year Source: CMHC Retirement Homes Report, 2003 and 2004

  22. Key Issue #3 • The supply of affordable rental housing does not meet current and future needs (in particular for youth, seniors, singles, lone-parent families, persons with disabilities, aboriginals, ex-offenders, immigrants, persons on OW and ODSP, and low income individuals and families)

  23. Key Issue #3 – Supply of Affordable Rental Housing is not Meeting Needs • 40.7% of individual and family renters were spending more than 30% of their income on rent, approximately 70% of unattached senior renters were spending more than 30% of their income on rent • 54.8% of lone parent families were spending more than 30% of their income on rent • Lack of affordable housing for youth is a particular concern, especially if the County wants to help ensure youth remain in their communities

  24. Key Issue #3 – Supply of Affordable Rental Housing is not Meeting Needs • Northern municipalities such as Midland, Penetanguishene, Wasaga Beach, Tiny and Tay all have lower average household incomes compared to the County as a whole • In 2000, 24.3% of households had incomes of less than $30,000 per annum • In 2000, there were a total of 34,660 persons or 9.4% of the population in Simcoe County who met the Statistics Canada definition of low income; 27.9% of all single households and 7.5% of family households are living in low income

  25. Key Issue #3 – Supply of Affordable Rental Housing is not Meeting Needs Rental Market Vacancy Rates, 2003-2005, Simcoe County Source: CMHC Rental Market Reports, Ontario Highlights and Toronto CMA, 2004 and 2005

  26. Key Issue #3 – Supply of Affordable Rental Housing is not Meeting Needs Comparison of Average Rents to Affordable Rents, City of Barrie

  27. Key Issue #4 • Aging housing stock may become a concern, especially rental housing

  28. Key Issue #4 – Aging Housing Stock May Become a Concern • Over one third (34.4%) of the rental housing stock was built prior to 1961 including approximately 20% which was built prior to 1945 • Just 3.8% of the rental housing stock was built between 1996 and 2001, 15.8% of the ownership housing stock was built between 1996 and 2001 • With the exception of Wasaga Beach, the more northern municipalities generally have an older housing stock

  29. Key Issue #4 – Aging Housing Stock May Become a Concern • Aging housing stock can result in high maintenance and operating costs due to the lack of energy efficient designs and deterioration of a unit. • Rapidly increasing utility costs mean that it is likely that individuals in older dwellings are facing high costs for maintenance and energy • this can create affordability challenges especially for individuals and families on fixed incomes

  30. Key Issue #5 • More affordable homeownership opportunities are needed

  31. Key Issue #5 – More Affordable Homeownership is Needed • Overall, there are very few homeownership options available to households earning less than $50,000 • Based on 2006 MLS research, the average price for a single family home in Simcoe County was $317,073 and the average price of a town home was $222,057

  32. Key Issue #5 – More Affordable Homeownership is Needed Affordable Homeownership Costs based on Household Income

  33. Key Issue #6 • Long waiting lists for social housing point to need for more units, with an emphasis on one-bedroom units

  34. Key Issue #6 – More Social Housing Units Needed • As of September 2006, there were a total of 2,921 applicants waiting for social housing • In general, wait times for social housing vary from about 2 years up to 16 years • In many communities the number of applicants on the waiting list exceeds the total number of units available in that community (in particular Alliston, Penetanguishene, Bradford, Collingwood, Midland and Wasaga Beach)

  35. Key Issue #6 – More Social Housing Units Needed Summary of Social Housing Waiting List by Unit Size, Simcoe County, December 6, 2006 Source: County of Simcoe, Social Housing Division October 2006

  36. Key Issue #7 • There is a need for support services for some tenants

  37. Key Issue #7 – Need for Supports for Social Housing Tenants • Social housing providers are increasingly housing persons who are hard to house, persons with disabilities, homeless, youth, persons with addictions • seeing a higher rate of social issues within their buildings • Key informants indicated that domiciliary hostels are also seeing more challenging residents

  38. Key Issue #8 • Concern raised over lack of affordable accessible units

  39. Key Issue #8 – Lack of Accessible Units • There is currently no centralized waiting list for persons with disabilities who require an accessible unit • Several survey respondents noted a lack of affordable accessible housing units throughout municipalities

  40. Key Issue #9 • There is a need for additional emergency and transitional housing in some communities and groups of individuals

  41. Key Issue #9 – Need for Emergency and Transitional Housing • It was noted that in North Simcoe there is a particular need for temporary housing for youth • In South Simcoe, there is a particular need for temporary housing for men and families • Key informants working with ex-offenders noted the need to increase the availability to temporary housing for individuals who are released from correctional centres • Second stage housing for women and children leaving the shelter also identified as a need

  42. Key Issue #10 • There is a gap in meeting the needs of those with special housing needs

  43. Key Issue #10 – Gap in Meeting Special Housing Needs • Lack of housing for persons with developmental disabilities • Wait time for housing 1 to 10 years • Aging parents and caregivers of persons with disabilities causing concerns • Abused women and children have few permanent housing options

  44. Key Issue #10 – Gap in Meeting Special Housing Needs • Currently no supply of supportive housing for persons with acquired brain injury • Up to 15 year wait in other communities • Aboriginal people finding it difficult to obtain affordable housing; in particular one and two-bedroom units • Large percentage of low income households

  45. Key Issue #11 • There is a need for housing-related services to be available in other languages to assist new immigrants

  46. Key Issue #11 – Need for Services in Other Languages • A major contributing factor to recent immigrants having particular difficulties in obtaining appropriate affordable housing is the lack of housing assistance services offered in languages other than English • This creates additional barriers to finding housing to meet their needs

  47. Phase Two: Recommended Policies and Programs • This phase of the study is aimed at recommending a range of policies, programs and strategies to address the identified key housing issues • This phase includes: • an assessment of existing policies, regulations, standards and practices that influence the housing market in the County of Simcoe • recommendations to be used by the County and community partners to overcome the identified impediments and take advantage of available opportunities to meet the identified housing needs

  48. Phase 2: Impediments and Opportunities • Senior Government Policies • Current Municipal Legislation • Legislative and Regulatory Provisions • Taxation, Charges and Fees • Financing Mechanisms • Partnership and Funding Programs (Federal, Provincial and Local) • Cost of Developing Affordable Housing • Other - NIMBY

  49. Phase 2: Strategic Directions • Based on this review of impediments and opportunities a set of recommendations have been put forth • The 11 identified key housing issues have been organized into five broad directions for meeting each of these issues • Recommendations pertaining to each issue have been identified • Recommendations represent both short and longer term strategies

  50. Strategic Direction 1: Housing Choices • Ensuring there is an appropriate supply and mix of housing for all household types, including persons with special needs, will support the creation of liveable, sustainable communities across the County of Simcoe

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