Housing
The City of Powell River Sustainable Official Community Plan includes policies of encouraging a mix of housing types and tenures, plus ensuring an adequate supply of affordable, rental, and physically accessible housing.
Balanced Housing Supply and Housing Choice
A well-balanced community has lots of different types of housing. As families change (new child, people moving in or out), physical/mental needs change, or as household income changes, people need access to housing of different sizes, locations, accessibility, and different levels of affordability. So, having a variety of housing in a community means that people have choices when their life circumstances change.
Please see the City’s new Housing Implementation Plan to learn more about different types of housing.
Housing Need
The Regional Housing Needs Assessment and the Housing Implementation Plan found that our community needs more housing, especially housing that is affordable for households earning about $80,000 or less per year, which is about 60% of all households who live in the city today.
More than 1 in 4 renter households in City of Powell River are in core housing needs. This means that their housing needs major repairs, the family needs more bedrooms, and/or the rent is too expensive for the household income.
We estimate that 770 new units of housing are needed in the next few years, and 592 of them need to be affordable for very-low income, low income, and moderate income households.
How We’re Collectively Taking Action
Over the last few years, the cost of housing has risen dramatically for homeowners and renters, the vacancy rate has become tighter, and income supports have not kept up. As a result, members of our community are at risk of or are already experiencing homelessness.
So, it’s taking all of us working together to increase the supply of housing and to match that supply to what our community needs. The City’s role is to encourage the private sector, non-profit sector, and senior levels of government to build housing. The City also regulates how much housing is built, where it is built, and how it is built.
Rental Housing
Recently constructed rental homes in City of Powell River include:
Supportive Housing: BC Housing funds a 44-unit supportive housing building located at Joyce Avenue and Harvie Avenue on Powell River Regional Hospital District land. The building opened in 2019 and is operated by Lift Community Services. The most recent Modular Supportive Housing Resident Outcomes report from BC Housing is located here. Learn more…
Inclusion Homes: Inclusion Powell River worked with BC Housing to open a 42-unit rental housing building in 2021 for moderate-income people and families. Learn more…
Sunset Homes: Powell River Sunset Homes Society completed a 34-unit rental building for seniors 55+ in 2022. Learn more…
Life Cycle Seniors and Family Housing: Life Cycle Housing Society is currently working with BC Housing to build a 24-unit development in Cranberry for families and seniors. Learn more...
Coastal Breeze Seniors Village: Golden Life completed a 76-unit independent living complex for seniors in 2019. Learn more…
Ownership Housing
To promote the supply of more (and more affordable) homes for purchase, the City has recently:
Drafted regulations to manage short-term rentals.
Allowed carriage houses and secondary suites.
Allowed residential small lot development.
Worked with the private sector to support more attainable housing, such as townhomes for purchase.
Emergency Shelter
BC Housing provides the funding for the emergency shelter and Lift Community Services operates the service. Shelter guests receive 2 meals, a safe place to sleep, and support. Staff are onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Jessica, manager for the Community Resource Centre, 604-414-9880
Direct line for the Shelter: 604-223-8152
Email: wintershelter@liftcommunityservices.org
Contact Us
Planning Services Department
Email us
Call us at 604-485-8650
Hours
Monday to Friday
8:30am to 4:30pm
Closed on holidays
Quick Links
Vital Signs Powell River (PRVS website currently down)