Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on the Okanagan lake, city view from mountain overlook
Project Overview
CitySpaces was busy throughout the second half of 2024 supporting 15 local governments to meet the Interim Housing Needs Report (HNR) deadline of January 1, 2025, following the release of the HNR Method guidelines by the Province in late June. The new legislatively required HNR Method to estimating housing need for five- and 20-years includes six components to estimate current unmet housing unit need and future household growth.
Key Highlights
While estimating the total number of housing units needed is essential, the more pressing question for many local governments is: “What kinds of housing units are actually needed?” To help answer this, CitySpaces developed an income- and affordability-based approach to categorizing housing need by four housing type and tenure categories, price point, and number of bedrooms. This detailed breakdown supports local planning and policymaking by aligning future housing supply with the specific needs of households across the income spectrum.
The approach builds on a methodology originally developed in collaboration with rennie intelligence and the City of Kelowna in 2023. This methodology was recognized with a 2024 Planning Institute of British Columbia Silver Award for Research & New Directions in Planning, with jurors highlighting its value as “a useful model that enhances the tools available for housing planning as a profession.” The award-winning approach continues to evolve and offers a strong foundation for local governments aiming to better understand and respond to their community’s housing needs.
Areas of Expertise
Housing + Homelessness Strategy
Facilitation + Engagement
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