A new report has determined that Kitimat will require 1,304 additional housing units by 2045, including 627 within the next five years, to meet the community's needs. The Interim Housing Needs Report, mandated by the provincial government, identifies significant gaps in the district’s housing landscape, particularly in housing options for seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income residents.
Council received the report at its Dec. 16 meeting, where CitySpaces Consulting presented its findings. The report, required under B.C.'s 2023 amendments to the Local Government Act, employs the legislatively mandated “HNR Method” to estimate housing needs over five-, 10-, and 20-year horizons. It also calls for updates to municipal Official Community Plans by Dec. 31, 2025, to ensure sufficient land capacity for residential development.
Key findings revealed that Kitimat’s housing market is dominated by single-detached homes, with little diversification to meet the needs of a changing population. Many rental units are described as outdated, inaccessible, and unsuitable for seniors or individuals with disabilities. The report noted, “Some seniors are leaving the community due to inadequate housing options,” further emphasizing that the rental market is expensive to renovate, limiting its desirability and functionality.
Projections showed that 41 per cent of the future housing demand would be for high-income households earning over $125,000 annually, while only four per cent of new housing would serve households earning under $20,000. “This analysis provides critical insights for making housing projects financially feasible while aligning with residents’ income levels,” said CitySpaces spokesperson.Jada Basi.
The district’s recent efforts to address housing needs include pre-zoning mixed-use and residential areas, facilitating non-market housing projects like Tamitik Status of Women’s transitional housing, and approving developments such as Baxter Landing and Haisla Town Centre. The latter is anticipated to deliver hundreds of units once fully completed. Despite these initiatives, the report stressed the need for further diversification and affordability measures to meet the projected demand.
The report also acknowledged the provincial requirement to integrate housing with alternative transportation infrastructure. While Kitimat’s context makes this less applicable compared to larger urban areas, measures such as the 2020 Cycle Network Plan and an ongoing Complete Community Assessment aim to align housing growth with sustainable transit options. “From my point of view, the province is really gearing their concerns about access to alternative transportation infrastructure to larger cities, so it’s less applicable to the Kitimat context, but nonetheless, it is a requirement of the report,” said Basi.
Councillor Mario Feldhoff raised concerns about the report’s methodology, suggesting that its projections might overstate future housing needs. “We’ve tried to accommodate potential developers, but for whatever reason, they’re not moving forward rapidly,” he said, questioning how much more could be done to meet provincial deadlines. Feldhoff also pointed out that the report failed to account for several developments already underway or awaiting occupancy, which could significantly alter the estimated housing needs.
