Over the years, the City of Timmins has experienced economic cycles of both growth and decline, each of which have had impacts on the community, particularly in regard to housing needs. Despite local efforts, housing challenges continue in the face of these evolving conditions. At the same time, recent amendments to legislation require municipalities to now identify how they will address housing needs in their jurisdictions. As a result, the City is pursuing the development of a strategic, long term Community Housing Plan to help address local housing needs.
The Timmins Community Housing Plan is a key initiative of the Timmins 2020 Strategic Plan, especially in the areas of community investment and quality of life. During the 2020 consultation process, a number of local housing issues were identified:
- The lack of housing availability is having an impact on the community, it’s growth and its ability to attract new residents
- Major employers are having trouble recruiting workers due to the high cost of housing
- There is a shortage of trades to construct new housing and construction costs are high
- Affordable housing is scarce and social housing waiting lists are long
- There is no transitional housing for people in shelters and limited supportive housing for those seeking special needs housing
It’s clear that housing plays an important role in the daily life of residents and if people do not have a suitable and affordable place to live, they will not be able to thrive and participate in the community. Expanding the availability of housing and improving affordability will help to strengthen community investment and improve quality of life, both for existing and new residents.
The development of a 20 year Community Housing Plan is a key stepping stone towards this objective. In developing the Plan, the City will:
- Document current and future housing needs across the housing continuum
- Assess current housing supply and its ability to accommodate future needs
- Analyze gaps in supply vs. demand as well as underlying factors
- Identify opportunities, options and solutions that address housing gaps
In addition to setting out actions, the Community Housing Plan will identify priorities and next steps for implementation. Strategies for monitoring Plan progress and measuring its impact will also be included to help evaluate the effectiveness of actions going forward.
