The District of Sparwood’s interim housing needs report shows the community will need 747 housing units over the next 20 years.
The district was required to conduct a new housing needs report as part of the province’s housing legislation, which was passed last year.
“The province changed the law in 2023 to require a new housing needs report and they established a new methodology and a new way to calculate the needs,” said planning and development director Patrick Sorfleet.
“There was a provincial requirement that council receive an interim housing needs report by the end of 2024.”
The report shows the community will need 239 housing units over the next five years and 747 over the next 20.
“Long story short, 747 is approximately a 40 per cent increase in the number of homes in the community over a 20-year period,” Sorfleet added.
Sorfleet says council will start applying the findings next year.
“The OCP and zoning bylaw will need to be updated in 2025 to address the 20-year housing needs and we need to do a full housing needs report by 2028.”
The full interim report can be found here.
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