By Cecilia Nasmith
When it comes to housing, Cobourg Councillor Emily Chorley wondered at Monday's committee-of-the-whole meeting, what is the definition of affordable.
Chorley's question was put to director of planning and development Glenn McGlashon near the end of the meeting, following a presentation by MHBC Planning associate Kelly Martel on progress being made towards having a finished Affordable and Rental Housing Community Improvement Plan by April. It's an initiative being encouraged for all member municipalities by Northumberland County, Martel said, and two public open houses have already been held.
Council also received a report from McGlashon on County of Northumberland/Town of Cobourg Affordable Housing Strategies – so Chorley addressed the question to him.
“I am still struggling with the definition of affordable housing used in the report, because it acknowledges even affordable housing, under this definition, would not be affordable for low-income families,” she said.
“How do we best create the kind of affordable housing for individuals who are most acutely in need?”
McGlashon said a widely accepted definition under the provincial policy statement is that housing that costs more than 30% of your gross income is not affordable.
“The challenge is, most of the new units being created in the municipality in terms of rental are at average market rent and above, which puts them above most moderate- and all low-income earners – so there's a challenge to make new units affordable to that demographic,” McGlashon said.
One idea that has gathered some support is the idea of tiered incentives – accommodations and waivers considered for builders of rental units, but more of these for builders of rental units that will be affordable or set aside for those with special needs.
McGlashon gave another criterion for affordable, one used by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – accommodations that rent for 80% of market rent are considered affordable for low- to moderate-income owners. Though housing managers across the province have set a different affordability rate, he said, Northumberland County's criteria are aligned with this definition.
“We are diving into those details through our CIP process,” he said.
