Options for Affordable Housing: New Solutions to the Housing Crisis in the Islands Trust Area

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Options for Affordable Housing: 
New Solutions to the Housing Crisis in the 
Islands Trust Area 
Prepared for the Island Trust, Local Planning Services 
By Normandy Daniels, Planning Technician 
Victoria, 2003 
1

Table of Contents
Title Page1
Why Undertake Affordable Housing Initiatives? 3  
Who Defines Affordable? 3
An Overview of Island Demographics 3
How Can We Address the Lack of Affordable Housing? 4
Figure: Percentage of Residents in Core Housing Need                                 5                                 
Affordable Housing Complexes 6
Coop, Mutual, and Cohousing 6
Land Banks and Community Land Trusts 8
Planning Tools 9
Secondary Suites and Cottages 10
            Density Bonuses 11
            Cluster and Cottage Housing 12
            Housing Agreements 13
Discussion                                                                                                                  14                                                                                                                  
Overview of Issues 14
Overview of Options 16
Next Steps 17
Endnotes                                                                                                                    18                                                                                                                    
Appendices                                                                                                                 19+                                                                                                                 
2

Why undertake affordable housing initiatives?
The communities within the Islands Trust area present a unique circumstance in 
the  discussion  of  affordable  housing  initiatives.  Unlike  urban  centers  where  the  
majority  of  such  developments  are  located,  the  islands  do  not  experience  the  
extensive homelessness or large special needs populations that many cities do. 
Although  the  islands  are  more  characteristic  of  typical  rural  communities,  they  
are  unique  in  possessing  high  property  values,  a  generally  higher  median  
population age, and significant limits on current and future development.
These  attributes  of  the  Trust  area  result  in  communities  that  are  often  less  
diverse  and  less  accessible  than  would  be  desired.  The  Islands  Trust  Policy  
Statement   dictates   that   we   should   “address   the   community’s   current   and   
projected  housing  requirements  (5.8.8)”  and  states  that  “people  of  differing  age  
groups  and  income  levels  should  continue  to  have  the  opportunity  to  reside  in  
island communities (5.0).” 
The  islands  generally  possess  a  market  appeal  that  serves  to  maintain  high  
property  values,  which  can  be  attributed  to  their  accessibility  to  urban  centres,  
among  other  factors.  Combined  with  a  lack  of  rental  housing,  this  often  renders  
them  inaccessible  to  

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