Land available for affordable housing
The Yukon government has taken another step toward the development of new affordable housing in Whitehorse.
The Yukon government has taken another step toward the development of new affordable housing in Whitehorse.
An undeveloped 4.2-hectare (10.4-acre) parcel located at the intersection of Range Road and Mountainview Drive will be put out to tender, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Brad Cathers said Friday.
"The Yukon government is delivering on our commitment to work with the private sector to address the need for more affordable housing,” Cathers said in a statement.
"With the release of lot 262, we are moving quickly to make land available to the private sector so that new affordable rental accommodation will be developed.
"A number of options for the release of Lot 262 have been explored, and this innovative approach demonstrates our commitment to work with the private sector and make more affordable housing available to Yukoners,” Cathers added.
With the site already designated residential urban infill in the City's Official Community Plan (OCP), the tender will enable experienced developers and the City of Whitehorse to implement a development plan as supported by the OCP.
Options for the tender and release of this land included the review and incorporation of the many industry recommendations and suggestions received through the government's request for expressions of interest initiated in November 2011.
The tender package will contain a requirement that the successful bidder build at least 30 affordable rental units.
Housing is generally considered affordable if it accounts for no more than 30 per cent of a household's income.
According to the tender package, rents are considered affordable if they are at or below the average rental rates for a particular apartment size. The report says the average rate for a one bedroom is $800.
For people earning minimum wage – even when it increases to $9.27 in April – and working a 40-hour work week, paying $800 for rent would account for more than 50 per cent of their income, meaning their housing would be considered insecure.
The tender packages for lot 262 became available online (www.emr.gov.yk.ca/lands/) and at the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources' land management branch at 10:00 this morning.
The deadline for submitting tenders is April 27.
Comments (2)
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Josey Wales on Mar 27, 2012 at 9:41 am
Yukon Jack...I hear ya 5X5 I do really.
Texas is actually appx. 200000 km's sq smaller with Japan being 100000 km's sq. smaller than we hillbillies up yonder parts.
Our governments up here would love for us to believe we are just like Japan with its 127 million folks...all out of room?
Truth is...the biggest scam know to our modern history with today's "shareholders" being yesterdays hippies whom gobbled up lands and now today?
Many sit in positions regards to land use/ownership, and dare not to have their bottom line cut into.
This place more resembles Toronto full of morons on phones...telling us what we need to live healthy lives.
We are now a nanny state where the lords (governments) must OK our every move. Civic governance in Whitehorse is even worse, they think they have way more rights on YOUR property than they do.
In town to pay for years of completely irresponsible spending are taxing the hell out of us to cover their civic incompetence...user fee climbs...new fees invented...more tax cash tossed to special interest groups....I could go on!
I now understand why Dick P built his cabin and hid from it all...the nonsense!
But can't even do that anymore up here?
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Yukon Jack on Mar 26, 2012 at 2:17 pm
The Yukon is the size of Texas, with 34K people. We saw this land disposition problem and housing shortage, a decade ago, and the Yukon government is still dumbfounded... Less planning - more doing! In other words, get off your chair, get the dictionary out and look up the words "productivity" and "procrastination" - highlight them and don't mix it up at the next back-patting meeting.