In the Fall of 2023, the Province of BC introduced several pieces of legislation related to housing. Bill 44 introduced changes to the Local Government Act updating requirements for Housing Needs Reports. Local Governments must adopt an interim Housing Needs Report by January 1, 2025. Housing needs reports must utilize a new standard method for calculating 5 and 20-year housing needs.
At the December 10 Regular Council Meeting the Village of Valemount adopted an update to the 2022 Housing Needs Report which includes the Interim Housing Needs in schedules I and J. The Interim report includes:
- 5- and 20-year housing needs,
- A statement about the need for housing in close proximity to transportation infrastructure that supports walking, bicycling, public transit or other alternative forms of transportation; and,
- A description of the actions taken by the local government, since receiving the most recent housing needs report, to reduce housing needs.