Housing was tops on the list at Monday evening's meeting of Yorkton City Council. From private developments, to city initiatives, there's a variety of projects on the go that will see a boost in the entry level housing market.
The city is looking at developing several entry level housing projects - one on the old CJ Houston property, one on the York Colony Lands and the other at Good Spirit Crescent.
The Housing Needs Assessment Study identified low cost entry-level housing was not being met by the private sector," said Gord Shaw, Director of Planning and Engineering to council. "The city has attempted to address this category by completing the engineering on two properties designated for single family residential - CJ Houston and Yorkton Colony. A third site is designated for multi-family residential and is available for construction to begin immediately."
Shaw recommended the city begin with the CJ Houston project. This is a relatively small project that can allow entry level lots to be developed very quickly at a relatively small impact to the city's financial position. This is an inner city project that could benefit schools in the area as well as the general neighborhood with more families or accommodations for students."
Shaw noted that city should also continue to work with other levels of government, the private sector and community organizations as well as to focus resources on entry level housing.
One initiative brought up was the HeadStart Program which was announced provincially earlier this year. A way of providing loans to developers the idea is to provide up to $5,000 per new entry single family home which would be repaid from taxes on an annual basis.
Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
