Just five years ago in Collingwood, more than 52 per cent of tenants were spending more than 30 per cent of their incomes on shelter.
Since then, average rents have increased by 78 per cent and housing prices have risen by about 105 per cent.
These statistics were part of the first report provided to Collingwood council by the newly struck Affordable Housing Task Force, which came before council on Monday night to ask for $25,000 to retain an independent third-party planner to assist with data collection and analysis to help inform a plan to address urgent housing needs in Collingwood.
“We’ve exhausted the available local information, and we need to retain additional services to obtain information and guidance, because we’re in a very short timeline,” said task force Chair Nancy Esson.
A final report to council on the issue is scheduled for October/November 2021.
“We have to get a lot done in a very short period of time. We just don’t think we have the expertise or the time to do it,” said Esson.
The Affordable Housing Task Force was formed earlier this year and has been tasked with informing council on a variety of matters relating to affordable housing, including making recommendations on how to deal with town-owned lands on Birch Street, make recommendations on local planning policies, as well as grant/funding opportunities for affordable housing development.
Clerk Sara Almas recommended using money from the corporate contingency fund to cover the cost, and general reserves if needed.
“You have a big task in front of you. It is an extremely compressed timeline, and an extremely complex issue,” said Mayor Brian Saunderson.
Council voted unanimously in favour of providing the funding.
