Kelowna tests housing tool
Photo: Veronica Dudarev on Unsplash
UBC researchers are using Kelowna to test a new tool that aims to provide a standardized way of assessing affordable housing needs based on income and future population growth. The HART tool also tries to identify plots that are suitable for affordable housing development.
It all started with a grant from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Lead researcher Craig E. Jones says they use census data to divide the population into very low, low, middle, middle, and very high income households.
“Next, we project household growth into the future based on past trends … then we look at the loss of low-cost rental housing in the city and then we put all these numbers together to get an idea of the estimate of the future housing needs in the city of Kelowna. “
The other part of the tool is a map created in ArcGIS Online to identify any publicly owned or publicly owned property.
“With the help of the network analysis of the accessibility, we identify parcels that could be suitable for affordable housing based on a whole list of criteria. You know, access to schools, pharmacies, or grocery stores, ”said Jones.
He notes that the City of Kelowna has been an excellent partner in the process and already has a pretty solid plan for affordable housing. “Our contribution could have been a different view of the available land. Hello, we have identified 230 websites that you would like to check out. That could be something else the city is considering. “
The next step is to come up with a proposal for the second leg of the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge, and if successful, the UBC team will have agreements with 10 other cities and regions across the country.
“We will work with them to refine our tool. We’re going to hire people to help and work through and try to make this something that can be ingested, provide the data and assets necessary to create a shared understanding of the need for affordable housing across the country. ”
You can read more about the HART apartment valuation tool here.
