Lorraine Briscoe

The attendance on May 15th at the TBL public meeting on the future housing policy was robust, and yet about 60 fewer than the 150 who registered.

Jean-Francois Vachon, an urban planner with his own consulting firm, JFLV Consultants, spent the first hour going through his bilingual presentation. JFLV was hired in the spring of 2023 to guide TBL in coming up with a new housing policy to address the shortage of diverse and affordable housing that has been exacerbated by the influx of new residents during the pandemic.

During the second hour, devoted to questions and discussion, approximately 12 residents went to the microphone. A 20-year-old asked an astute question. “How will the new policy ensure that new affordable housing won’t be bought by people living full time in the city who are looking for an affordable second home?” The answer from Mr. Vachon showed that this won’t be easy to control.

Some key points mentioned by JFLV include TBL’s unique 81% proportion of single detached houses. TBL households are 82% home-owned and 18% rented. Places for rent were virtually non-existent in 2023. New construction has not been diversifying the supply of rental properties.

The housing policy will focus on meeting the needs of two target groups: the elderly, so that they are not forced to leave for other municipalities as they downsize, and young families who wish to settle and work in TBL, so they have affordable options to rent or buy.

Representatives from Imaginaction II, a community initiative, called the report “a commendable initiative by TBL. Further clarity is needed to see how this focused strategy aligns with current and planned housing projects and what the impact will be on infra-structure and quality of life”.

As Mr. Vachon stated, “Not all municipalities have room to grow while the TBL does. TBL can do its part to help with the housing crisis”.

To view the presentation https://lacbrome.ca/nouvelles/video-retour-sur-la-rencontre-de-la-politique-dhabitation/