VICTORIA – The Capital Regional District (CRD) is designing a Rural Housing Program through the development of a Pilot Project that will take place on the Southern Gulf Islands (SGI) and Salt Spring Island (SSI) Electoral Areas (EAs).
The Rural Housing Program will be initiated as Pilot Project on the SGI and SSI EAs to prototype various housing solutions that are better suited to the rural context and to enable CRD responsiveness to the housing crisis across the capital region.
“The Rural Housing Program is a move to address the critical need for affordable homes across the region in rural areas and small communities. By launching the Pilot Project on the SGI and SSI, it enables us to acknowledge the hard work of islanders over many years and look at how we can better tailor housing solutions to what we see as a growing need for affordability measures beyond the CRD’s Urban Containment Boundary,” said Paul Brent, Electoral Area Director for the Southern Gulf Islands and Chair of the Electoral Areas Committee. “This initiative is not just about building units; it’s about working together as a community to create homes.”
Funding for coordination is provided through a partnership with the Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership (SGITP) to use the Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) on short-term accommodation, collected by online accommodation providers and distributed by the Province to the SGITP as the Destination Marketing Organization for the islands. This will enable the CRD to hire staff that can administer the program, pursue additional partnerships, and offer strategic guidance to help proponents navigate the complex regulatory context.
“By actively engaging with our communities, we are trying to ensure that the Rural Housing Program measures help meet the needs of our residents in ways that reflect their values and the special mandate of the Islands Trust,” said Gary Holman, Salt Spring Island Local Community Commission Vice Chair and Electoral Area Director for Salt Spring Island.
Intended Pilot Project Features
- Develop a framework to provide financial assistance for homeowners to build secondary suites and cottages in exchange for commitments to affordable rents;
- Build a program to invest pre-development funding in affordable housing projects; and,
- Support the coordination of activities through additional capacity available to non-profit housing providers.
New funding to support secondary suites and cottages as well as pre-development funding are subject to CRD Board approval through the 2025 budget process. The pilot program on SSI and SGI will test various initiatives that could be implemented across the region’s other rural communities.
Residents are encouraged to learn more about the Rural Housing Program at getinvolved.crd.bc.ca/crd-rural-housing-program.
Source: Capital Regional District
