Housing Strategy

The Housing Strategy

Castlegar's Housing Strategy was presented to Council Committee of the Whole on August 16, 2021. The full strategy document is available as a PDF on the City's Housing Strategy page.

The five focus areas

1. Affordable Housing, focused on low-to-moderate income residents.
2. Housing Diversity, supporting varied types, tenure, and configurations of housing.
3. Rental Housing, expanding accessory dwellings and purpose-built rental supply.
4. Barrier Reduction, addressing financial and regulatory barriers to housing development.
5. Partnerships, building community awareness and supporting innovation.

The data picture

The Housing Strategy surfaces several key indicators from its 2021 baseline:

• “Renter households are growing twice as fast as owner households”
• Many households are “paying over 30% of income on housing” (the standard affordability threshold)
• “Only ten seasonal emergency beds available” in the community

These are the numbers the strategy was written against. The City updates its Housing Needs Report on the schedule required by BC, so for the most current counts, see the housing index or contact Development Services directly.

Implementation: Bylaws 1427 and 1428

The Housing Strategy is implemented in part through the City's Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw, both adopted in July 2024:

• Bylaw 1427 (Official Community Plan), sets the long-range planning vision including housing goals.
• Bylaw 1428 (Zoning), translates the Community Plan's vision into actionable land-use regulations.