Understanding Housing Needs in New Westminster: Your Voice
Consultation has concluded
Project Update, July 12 2021: Council, at its July 12, 2021 meeting, endorsed the City of New Westminster Housing Needs Report. Click here to review the full Housing Needs Report and click here to review the Summary Report.
Click here to access the Council Report, including attachments, from the July 12 meeting.
Project Update, July 2021: The Engagement Summary Report is now available! Check out the summary of the engagement process, and the key themes we heard from participants. The report also includes the verbatim input we received through the survey, ideas board and workshop notes.
A draft housing needs report has been developed for the City of New Westminster, and we want to hear local experiences on housing challenges and concerns.
Click here to review a draft summary of the housing needs report.
Why is the City preparing a housing needs report?
The City of New Westminster wants to address residents’ housing expectations using approaches that are based on evidence. A draft report has been developed, entitled Understanding Housing and Homelessness in New Westminster: A Housing Needs Report 2021-2031. The report is a step towards better understanding New Westminster’s unique housing situation. The final report will meet legislative requirements in British Columbia requiring local governments to prepare reports that describe current and projected housing needs.
How will it be used?
The housing needs report is an information-only report. Nothing will change right away. The final report will provide a foundation on which future City housing policies and initiatives will be based, including an updated Housing Strategy. At that time, the City, through a planning process, will decide how it would like to proceed given available resources, senior government funding and competing municipal priorities.
The findings of the housing needs report can also be used by non-profit organizations and other groups to describe local housing needs in their funding applications.
How can I participate?
A virtual workshop was held on May 4, 2021 - thanks to everyone who participated. Click here to view the presentation slides. Start the video playback below at about the 6-minute mark for the presentation on the draft report.
The survey and online discussion have now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.
The City is also reaching out to people with lived experience of housing vulnerability for their views.
Input from the engagement will be added to the draft report, to ensure it reflects local perspectives. Check back here for the What We Heard report, and the final housing needs report.
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The housing needs report in an information-only report, with the goal of outlining New Westminster's unique housing situation and what types of housing are most needed. It is not intended to be an action plan, or provide solutions. Nothing will change right away.
The final report will provide a foundation on which future City housing policies and initiatives will be based, including an updated Housing Strategy.
However, we know New West residents have ideas and want to discuss potential solutions.
Thinking about your top housing concerns / challenges, please share your ideas for addressing them.
These ideas may not be included in the housing needs report, but they will be documented and reported back to the community, City staff, and Council.
View All Ideasalmost 3 years ago
Do not allow studio apartments to be built. They are used to launder money then rented out and nobody wants to live in one.
almost 3 years ago
Discourage speculation in local real estate.
Housing is a need, not a commodity. There’s no good reason that working professionals (teachers, small business owners, nurses, construction workers) should be denied a home so someone else can own more than they can live in.
almost 3 years ago
Include housing targets for family sized, family orientated market units
The housing report is great, both conceptually and the draft that I've read. I was surprised to not see any targets for missing middle housing specifically. There is a huge need for middle class market housing for families that is more affordable than single family homes. I think the report would be strengthened by having targets for this category of housing as well. Look at the entire spectrum. How many units of housing should the city have across ALL segments across the spectrum for a balanced community that supports each other.
almost 3 years ago
More co-op housing needs to be built.
We need options for working people/families who, because they were born in the wrong generation or to underprivileged families, will never be able to own a home. Co-op housing provides much-needed secure housing to people who want to be contributing members of our communities.
almost 3 years ago
Challenge age restricted stratas for 19+ buildings.
It boggles my mind that we are allowing age discrimination to exist in BC. Excluding children from housing is a terrible policy and I am amazed that this is allowed to happen in 2021.
Project Contact
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Development Services
Phone 604-527-4532 Email plnpost@newwestcity.ca
