Kitimat Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment
In 2019, the District of Kitimat retained CitySpaces Consulting to complete an update of DOK’s 2015 Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment (HAPNA). Since the previous HAPNA was completed, the housing context changed considerably, primarily as a result of the decision to proceed with LNG Canada’s liquified natural gas project.
Kitimat’s Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment involved two distinct phases: information gathering and stakeholder consultation related to the Needs Assessment component of the report, and best practices research and solutions-identification for the Action Plan component of the report. Two in-person focus groups were held at District offices in November and February with members of Council and Housing Committee. Additionally, posters were placed in locations with significant pedestrian traffic to facilitate feedback from the broader public.
Initial deliverables for the Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment included a Housing Indicators Report, which fulfills legislative requirements outlined in the Local Government Act (mainly Part 14) and Housing Needs Reports Regulation.
The Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment provided detailed affordability profiles, highlighting circumstances for different households in Kitimat, including a single person working as a nurse, a young family with two working adults, an older retired couple, a young man earning minimum wage, and a single mother working in the social services sector. These “affordability snapshots” provide an understanding of how typical Kitimat households navigate the housing sector, and help to illuminate housing need and gaps.
The recommended actions contained in Kitimat’s Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment are tailored to suit the specific challenges and unique context. Given the shortage of local tradespeople to complete needed repairs on older housing stock, internships for post-secondary students in building programs were suggested. Feedback from community consultation demonstrated the lack of social connectivity in the community, which can be particularly challenging for seniors. A Community Shed was recommended to facilitate gathering and reduce isolation. These examples demonstrate the range of strategies contained within Kitimat’s Housing Action Plan and Needs Assessment.
