A master plan to paint a big picture for affordable housing in Collingwood is in the works, and the town is asking residents to join in the work to create it.
In a news release issued today, the Town of Collingwood announced it is developing a "made-in-Collingwood" solution for the affordable housing crisis in the form of an affordable housing master plan that will "give the town prioritized, costed, and actionable direction."
Using work already done by the Collingwood affordable housing task force, the town aims to start the master plan process with an update to the task force's 2021 housing needs assessment.
"Simply saying we need more affordable housing is not enough," said Mayor Yvonne Hamlin in a news release issued by the town. "Collingwood is ready for an action plan, and I'm pleased to announce today that our affordable housing master plan will give us that clear and focused path forward to ensure that we have a vibrant, thriving, and sustainable community – today and in the future."
The town will be compiling data related to housing and income levels from the 2021 census and will also be getting a market survey of rental, resale, and new home sales.
Doug Linton, chair of the town's affordable housing task force, said the solution for affordable housing is in collaboration between governments, private sector, non-profits, and individual residents.
"There isn't one magic bullet solution to solve this complex problem," said Linton in the town's news release. "We look forward to supporting the town's upcoming engagement activities and to seeing a plan that is built on collaboration and community."
The town has promised details for public engagement for the plan in the coming weeks.
The town's news release defines affordable housing as shelter costs that do not exceed 30 per cent of a household's gross income.
"The town of Collingwood's affordable housing efforts focuses on households that earn moderate levels of income," states the news release, further clarifying that moderate levels indicate about $70,000 to $98,000.
At those income levels, an "affordable" home would be in the range of $248,000 to $391,000, and affordable rent would be in the range of $900 to $1,300 a month.
With the release, the town also included the following graphic, indicating the Town of Collingwood's role in the "housing continuum."
For those interested in taking part in the public conversations about the affordable housing master plan, there is information available on the Engage Collingwood website.
The town says a lack of affordable housing is detrimental to the whole community because it leads to lack of diversity, puts future sustainability at risk, makes it difficult for businesses to find and keep staff, it contributes to food insecurity and increased stress, and can contribute to health problems and strain on health and social services.
