Requests for proposals for a housing need and demand study for Cariboo Lodge from the City of Williams Lake will go out in January.
Council approved the call for proposals after receiving a report and hearing from manager of social development Anne Burrill, who told council at its regular council meeting on Dec. 20 that the Cariboo Lodge Site Redevelopment Task Force recommended the study.
The City was successful in receiving $25,000 in grants to fund the study from Canadian Mortgage and Housing and the Real Estate Foundation, and an additional $5,000 will come from the City.
“This would be a housing need and demand assessment for the community of Williams Lake taking into consideration the impact of the regional shift of population for the whole region,” Burrill said, adding it won’t look at the need in outlying communities in terms of housing needs in those communities.
Instead the study will look at housing needs in Williams Lake and will take into consideration the movement of population of people from outlying communities into the city.
Burrill anticipates signing a consulting contract for the study some time in February with the goal being to have the study completed within four to six months.
Coun. Surinderpal Rathor asked Burrill to define the region, as indicated in the proposal, and heard it would take into consideration people moving into Williams Lake from Anahim Lake in the west to McLeese Lake in the north, Horsefly and Likely to the east, and to Lac La Hache in the south.
The successful consultant will be expected to conduct a housing inventory; actively engage community input; and examine vacancy rates and barriers, the impact of changing demographics, labour force recruitment and retention of seniors in the community on housing needs, and the current state of attainable housing and future attainable housing need by age and household formation types by community.