The United Way Perth-Huron’s Social Research & Planning Council has released a new Future of Housing report.
It looks at the growing housing challenges faced across Perth-Huron and the impact it has on the well-being of local communities.
Joelle Lamport-Lewis is the director of research for the council and says the report shows it's just not an affordability problem, it's also a workforce problem. While people can't find affordable housing, it filters into the workplace as employers struggle to fill positions.
Lamport-Lewis adds solving the crisis is important on two fronts; the personal well-being of local people and the economic well-being of the region.
“Our system change needs to be looked at. There's a lot of processes and red tape that are, there's a lot of work being done, but there's still a little ways to go in doing that. And then, just bottom line, having access to different types of housing options is going to be so important,” said Lamport-Lewis.
According to the Future of Housing report, the average price of a detached home in the Perth-Huron region has increased 35 percent over the last 12 months. The average dollar value is $549,000.
A two-bedroom rental unit averages $1,2000 a month, an 18 percent increase.
“And we're seeing that with the rental units in particular, where there's higher rates of rental units turning over and being sold to those that are going to use it as a housing option, but no longer a rental unit. So that's where we're seeing drastic increases in rental costs.”
The Future of Housing also proposes actions that would help build a healthier local housing outlook including an education campaign, workforce attraction and retention, collaboration, consolidation and clarity of direction and potential big system change.
“Some of the areas that we're looking are around different styles of development within communities, so not necessarily just your traditional, single-detached home, but different options for housing for our aging population and for our attraction and retention of new work force,” explained Lamport-Lewis.
The full report is available at perthhuron.unitedway.ca.
