The City of Richmond has launched an online consultation process to determine the “lived experiences” of its residents with respect to housing affordability concerns.
An online survey will be complemented by an ongoing series of open houses to share comments, suggestions and/or concerns about Richmond’s affordable housing crisis.
The survey, which lasts until July 3, has already drawn impassioned responses from Facebook accounts of apparent residents on the city’s Facebook page.
“Lived in Richmond over 35 years and now feeling like I can’t afford to live here,” wrote Amie Sidhu.
“Too expensive to survive in Richmond,” stated Khadija Mengal.
The survey appears to focus on an apparent lack of housing supply as a primary cause of the city’s unaffordability.
It does not suggest curbing housing demand in the city, in order to address the problem.
In asking what one thinks is causing Richmond’s runaway housing costs, the city provides four specific options for city planners to address: “Help increase the supply of affordable rental apartments; Help increase the supply of affordable home ownership options; Advocate to the provincial and federal governments for additional funding for affordable housing; Ongoing research and planning to address affordable housing issues in Richmond.”
Lastly, the survey allows residents to check the “other” box in order to provide further comments.
Richmond has become one of the least affordable places to live in Canada, and North America, as housing costs quickly outpace local incomes.
Since 2006, the price of a detached home in Richmond has risen 150 per cent. Only in Vancouver West, at 171 per cent, have such costs risen more, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.
In 2015, detached home sale prices rose by about 40 per cent.
In terms of overall housing costs, Richmond’s has only been outmatched by the municipalities of West Vancouver and Vancouver, the most expensive markets in Canada.
The survey intends to identify the wants and needs of Richmond residents. The city launched the consultation process to complement its ongoing review of the Richmond Affordable Housing Strategy.
The strategy was forged in 2007. Given that housing affordability has worsened since, the city says it now wants to look at ways to curb the problem and identify “potential gaps and ideas for future policy direction.”
At LetsTalkRichmond.ca, residents are able to review the 2007 strategy, as well as basic housing data, and then input their personal experiences.
Much of the data presented to participants is from the voluntary 2011 National Household Survey.
One problem affordable housing advocates have already identified, aside from housing prices, is a lack of market rental units.
“Over 20 per cent of Richmond residents live in poverty, which affects new immigrants, seniors, people on a fixed income, and children disproportionately. As Richmond housing costs continue to escalate, rents are rising out of the reach of many people,” noted affordable housing advocacy group Richmond Rental Connect, via its website.
In 2015, despite a record level of residential development, city council approved zero market rental units, as the city’s market rental vacancy rate hovered around one per cent.
As for subsidized housing, last year council approved an increase to development contributions for such projects.
