Chamber proposes solutions for chronic housing crunch
Three things must be done to help alleviate the housing crisis in the city, says the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
Photo by Whitehorse Star
Shown Above: RICK KARP
Three things must be done to help alleviate the housing crisis in the city, says the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce.
A report released by the chamber in late April details a trio of recommendations aimed at the city, territory and local First Nations, including:
• that officials with each as well as land developers meet to come up with a policy so land deemed suitable for new homes in the city’s Official Community Plan (OCP) can be released through a tender process to the private sector to be developed;
• that the city come up with incentives to help increase the amount of housing and redevelopment in the downtown; and
• that the different governments work together to speed up potential development sites in the OCP.
The recommendations come in light of the housing shortage throughout town that has seen average home prices rise to more than $400,000.
As the chamber described in the short report detailing its proposals: “The Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce is concerned that the City of Whitehorse’s Growth Strategy is not sufficiently addressing some of the issues affecting the availability of housing in the city.
“As well, resulting from feedback from our membership and the community at large, it has become apparent to the chamber that any resolution to this issue should involve the Yukon government and Yukon First Nations.
“Finally, if all orders of government in Yukon – the municipalities, Yukon First Nations, Yukon government and the federal government – partner with the private sector, the housing crisis can be resolved.”
Before it makes a formal presentation to any of the governments on the suggestions though, the chamber is looking at two issues in more detail.
Chamber president Rick Karp said last month a committee reviewing the report asked first that developers, realtors and others in the industry be brought together, without government involvement, to look at what incentives would encourage development.
That happened May 10, with 23 people attending, Karp said.
“It was an excellent meeting,” he commented, though he declined to discuss what incentives were suggested.
Before the chamber presents its three proposals to the government bodies, it will be looking at the expected population growth in the city for the next few years.
As Karp described it, numbers are being thrown out by many about the expected population growth.
While the chamber could look to documents like the OCP, which deals with a few possibilities, Karp said he wants something more concrete.
Instead, he noted, the chamber will be looking at the Yukon government’s numbers expected to come out within a few weeks.
“We need a reasonable estimate so we can be ready and be planning,” Karp said.
As the chamber waits for population information and puts together its report on the May 10 meeting of industry officials, Karp said, it’s also gathering input from its members on the three recommendations.
So far, there’s mixed reaction to the ideas with some agreeing and others not.
“There isn’t a constant,” Karp said of the responses.
The only thing that is consistent among his members is that the housing crisis must be dealt with, he added.
Thomas Brewer
Jun 2, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Lets get some statistics from YTG about the number of people collecting Social Assistance over the last 10 years…
Now lets contrast that with the housing shortage…
I propose that low/no income Canadians are moving to Yukon to take advantage of our generous SA rates and free healthcare.
Perhaps it’s time to reassess both of these ‘services’.