Qualicum Beach has completed an interim housing needs report, mandated by the provincial government in 2024.
The report was presented at the regular council meeting on Jan. 22 by consultants Deloitte.
Based on the formula provided by provincial government, the consultants figured the housing needs of Qualicum Beach within a five-year and 20-year time frame.
The calculations of the town's housing needs are based on six categories. They include housing units needed for households in extreme core housing need, individuals experiencing homelessness, suppressed households, anticipated household growth, raising the rental vacancy rate to three per cent and accounting for additional local housing demand.
Deloitte also conducted supplementary analysis to provide characteristics of the projected units of need.
The study shows the total housing need in Qualicum Beach over a five-year period is 726 units, and in 20 years it would be 2,452. The largest requirement is three-bedroom houses, 302 in five years and 1,026 in 20 years; followed by two-bedrooms at 214 and 745, respectively.
Jamie Vann Struth, Deloitte senior manager of economic advisory, said compared to the current census, these projections show a gradual evolution towards smaller units going forward.
The town will apply the study in its Official Community Plan and zoning bylaws updates, expected to be completed at the end of 2025.
"The province does require updates to the OCP and zoning if necessary to ensure that each local government can accommodate the units of need that we're projecting in this report, said Vann Struth, who added the province set these very prescriptive formulas for the first time with goal for every local government to do an update simply of the numbers.
"Most of the housing needs reports are more substantial than that, require some consultation and some other considerations," said Van Struth. "They're requiring full updates to housing needs reports every five years. That would be required the next time by the end of 2028, which would incorporate results from the 2026 census. And then after that every five years. So, the 2031 census would require a full housing needs update by the end of 2033."
Some members council feel the report fails to fit the specific needs of Qualicum Beach.
Van Struth said the initiative was aimed at producing a housing needs report required by the province and that any qualitative issues can be incorporated when the town does it next report in 2026.
Mayor Teunis Westbroek said although Bill 44 was very encouraging for communities to start building more units, he noted a decline in housing starts in 2024.
"I understand in Alberta where they created incentives, housing starts went up," Westbroek said. "So, I'm not sure if we're going about it the right way. And I mean we as a provincial government and local government. You can't make people build. And you can't make them put lands available and say 'OK, I'll build a four-plex on my home.' So, there are a lot of work to be done but I appreciate the report. It gives it a kind of a pulse of where we're at, especially with people who are experiencing homelessness or suppressed living as you call it."
The town plans to explore the true housing needs of the community during the OCP review and will be engaging the public.
Council received the report provided by the consultants.