The City of Yorkton's Housing Committee has created a list of recommended municipal and provincial priorities it believes could help create housing development to alleviate the current tight supplies in the city.
"We've accomplished a lot of work in 75-days," Committee co-chair Ron Skinner told the regular meeting of Council June 27.
Skinner said much of the work has been reviewing the current situation, and where to go from here.
"We've done a major review of what we'd like to see happen," he said, adding the goal is "to create housing opportunities in Yorkton."
The first step municipally should be to review and update the City's incentive policies, said Skinner.
While acknowledging the City has established policies in place he said it "needs to be revisited."
For example an incentive exists for multi-unit development. "To qualify you have to have five units, or more on one title," said Skinner. He said that policy should be expanded.
A revised tax incentive policy would allow for condominium units built and used for rental to be held by individuals on a single title basis and that this policy be applied to all rental construction of single family, duplex, tri-plex, four-plex, eight-plex and apartment style designs.
Skinner said there are advantages to the move including individuals being able to access lower interest rates than commercial developers.
"That's one policy that really stands out," he said.
The Committee also wants to see non-traditional lot options developed in the city to facilitate "development of smaller homes."
In terms of rental units, Skinner said the City needs to look at ways to stimulate secondary suite development.
The recommendation was to develop an incentive policy for the development or renovation of secondary and bachelor suites, such as an abatement of a percentage of property taxes for a one to five year period, along with Provincial grants.
The City can also be at the forefront in terms of helping developer's access programming. The recommendation was to assist the Yorkton Building Services Department in becoming a resource centre and clearing house for all Municipal, Provincial and Federal government programs relating to housing.
"There is a tremendous amount of information out there that needs to be made sense of," said Skinner.
Councillor Bob Maloney wanted to know if the housing market has eased.
Skinner said while apartment vacancy rates are now 4.9 per cent, up from 2.2, he said it's still tight, adding that since 2005 vacancy rates have not climbed above five per cent.
"The rental market is still tight," he said.
