Lake Country: Housing Needs Report

The District of Lake Country retained CitySpaces Consulting to complete a Housing Needs Report to better understand current and future housing needs, in line with legislative requirements. The report helps inform future planning initiatives in the District and policy development in the upcoming Official Community Plan (OCP) process.

Building on Central Okanagan regional data, key trends were identified to better understand housing needs and gaps. Our team used the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) methodology, developed by UBC, to determine housing unit need estimates by unit size and household income between 2021 and 2031. Engagement was conducted with key informants through interviews and focus groups to build a more comprehensive understanding of community context. Household affordability snapshots were included to illustrate different housing experiences and highlight the challenges that may be experienced when trying to secure affordable, safe, and adequate housing.

The key takeaways from the report were:

• Housing affordability and availability are a challenge in Lake Country, especially impacting low- and moderate-income households.
• Feedback from engagement reflects the need for more seniors housing, including independent living, assisted-living, and long-term care facilities.
• The District has made positive progress towards delivering new multi-unit housing over the past five years, but more is needed to meet demand.
• To meet growing demand and address the existing housing shortage, housing unit need estimates suggest a minimum of 2,505 new housing units are needed by 2031.

CitySpaces led all aspects of the project from data collection and analysis, community engagement, and drafting a comprehensive final report.

CLIENT: District of Lake Country