Nanaimo byelection candidates aim to tackle affordable housing in the Harbour City through community discussion, requests for provincial funding and scrutiny of city bylaws and bureaucracy that could stand in the way of construction. 

Nanaimo byelection candidates aim to tackle affordable housing in the Harbour City through community discussion, requests for provincial funding and scrutiny of city bylaws and bureaucracy that could stand in the way of construction.

Affordable housing is a top initiative of Nanaimo city council, which moved ahead this year with work on the municipality’s first-ever strategy on the issue.

More than half of local renters spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, the limit set by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation for whether housing can be considered affordable, according to the City of Nanaimo. It also reports that one out of four renters spend more than half their income on housing costs.

The strategy, expected to cost $150,000 and take 15 months to complete, will look at housing across the continuum, from emergency shelters to rentals and home ownership, and will help set priorities for the city over the next decade, a city report shows. Candidates share ideas for action on affordable housing – Nanaimo News Bulletin