Are you looking to break into the home-ownership market, but are having trouble affording it?
The County of Simcoe may be able to help you with that.
The issue of affordable housing was brought up in nearly every debate locally during the federal election, and a new national housing survey confirms the fears brought forward by residents.
Zoocasa polled more than 1,300 Canadians between Sept. 17-29 to find out their thoughts on housing leading into the federal election, asking questions on topics such as eroding home affordability, how rising home prices have impacted homeowners, financial stress and housing prices and the most common obstacles to home ownership.
“There is a need for affordable housing in every town, township and city across the county,” said Arfona Zwiers, the county's director of social housing. “Each municipality has its own affordable housing target and together, they add up.”
According to the findings of the Zoocasa survey, respondents felt very strongly that the cost of housing is a problem – 84 per cent agreed with the sentiment that housing affordability is a major issue that’s negatively impacting Canadians. About 72 per cent of respondents said they had a conversation about housing or the real-estate market within the last week.
About 91 per cent said they felt the cost of buying a home in their city or town has been rising faster than their incomes, and 92 per cent felt rising home prices have made it hard for middle-class Canadians to buy their first home.
“We know we have seen a steady market increase in market rent in five different areas across the county,” she said. “So we know that in Barrie, for example, the average market rent... is over $1,100 a month for a one-bedroom. We know that has increased substantially from five or 10 years ago.”
“We have a very narrow vacancy rate, which means landlords can increase rents when they turn over units. The landlord can put the rent up if they want. There are market factors,” Zwiers added.
Affordable housing is a broad category of housing that includes social housing (rent geared to income). In 2000, the portfolio was downloaded to the county to manage.
The county is the direct owner and manager of the Simcoe County Housing Corporation, which provides affordable housing to seniors, families and individuals. The rest of social housing county-wide is owned by about 25 non-profit providers.
“It came under the county’s purview for management and also to flow funding, which comes through federal, provincial and municipal means,” said Zwiers.
On Jan. 1, 2014, the county started their 10-Year Affordable Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy.
“Over the past five years, the real push at the county and everything we do in relation to affordable and social housing, is driven by our strategy and our eyes are always on the goals of that strategy,” she said.
There are approximately 4,000 historical social housing units across the county. The majority of those units are available at a rent-geared-to-income level.
Before the 10-year strategy was put in place, the county created more than 400 units of new rental development.
Since 2014, the plan has led to more than 1,500 new affordable units being created county-wide.
“The overall plan is to create 2,685 new units between 2014 and 2024. We are approximately 57 per cent of the way toward our target, which is pretty good,” said Zwiers.
Zwiers said the county uses a variety of methods to help residents who are struggling to make ends meet, such as the Affordable Home Ownership Program, which helps people get out of the rental market and into owning by providing 10 per cent down payment assistance in the form of a forgivable loan.
“There are many different ways we can create affordable housing. When a building comes up out of the ground, that’s very visible. What’s not so visible is when we enter into contracts with private landlords for the provision of rent supplements, or when a homeowner creates a secondary suite,” said Zwiers.
“They all help toward the balanced approach.”
The secondary suites program offers forgivable loans to residents who want to renovate part of their home into a secondary unit.
“It has proven to be a really popular program,” said Zwiers.
Current affordable housing builds being undertaken by the county include 99 units in the Wasaga Beach development and 41 units in Tay Township’s Victoria Harbour development (targeted primarily to seniors and those with disabilities).
Looking to the future, Zwiers mentions the former Orillia District and Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI property) in Orillia as a possible space for new affordable housing, depending on the outcome of the public consultations on the site.
“We know that affordable housing is needed in Orillia,” she said. “Over this next year we will consider some design concepts for that.”
Zwiers also points to multiple projects county-wide that have been opened up over the past year overseen by third-party developers.
“They include projects in Innisfil, a couple of projects in Barrie, a project in Wyevale and Alliston,” she said.
If you’re struggling with finding affordable housing, there are five Housing Resource Centres located in different parts of the county that can help. To find the Housing Resource Centre nearest you, click here.
To see the full Zoocasa survey results, click here.
For information on affordable and social housing in the County of Simcoe, click here.
Key study findings at a glance
- 37% of respondents had a conversation with a friend, family member or colleague about housing or the real estate market in the last 24 hours
- 72% of respondents had a conversation with a friend, family member or colleague about housing or the real estate market within the last week
- 31% of respondents feel that people should own a home or property by the time they are between 31 – 35 years old
- 29% of respondents feel that people should own a home or property by the time they are between 26 -30 years old
- 22% feel that there is no particular age by which someone should own a home or property
Source: Zoocasa.com
