Affordable Housing and the Social Economy in the Fraser Valley Regional District

Abstract

The semantic meaning of the concept “social housing” is doubtless related to housing that has been specifically designed to meet the needs of tenants in terms of affordability and suitability. Social economic organizations are essential role players in the provisioning of social housing in the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) and have contributed toward the establishment of: - Fraser Valley Housing Network - FVRD Mayors’ Task Force on Homelessness and Affordable Housing - Social Development Advisory Committee in Abbotsford (ASDAC) - Social Development Commission in Mission - Changes in zoning, bylaws, and facilities in the FVRD electoral districts “Housing First” municipality strategies, policies, tools, approaches, and a FVRD affordable housing administration unit will make it easier for the social economy, main role players, developers, and other service providers to provide and manage affordable housing. A cross‐sector forum and provincial government engagement regarding the mandates for provincially‐legislated organizations will enhance collaboration between the social economy, local governments, regional authorities, and provincial government that in turn will help to create a national housing strategy similar to those of other G8 countries and bring Canada on par with its G8 associates. Social housing is provided by the private sector, public sector, third sector, and involved Third Way interventions in the FVRD. Third sector organizations are financially independent, or funded, or receive grants from the public sector and collaborate with the private sector. In light of the existing affordable housing shortage, it seems appropriate to rely more on supply‐side incentives in the short‐to‐medium term, while targeting an increasing demand for subsidies in the longer run. There is a need to develop a federal public mortgage savings plan, such as a Registered House Savings Plan (RHSP) based on the principals of the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) but specifically for housing. There is a need for a FVRD housing coalition to create and implement a housing action plan, as suggested in this report, that will focus on affordability, environmental sustainability, and energy efficiency.