Revelstoke Community Housing Society to scale up efforts to increase non-market rental units with city’s support
The City of Revelstoke will provide initial funding to support the efforts of the Revelstoke Community Housing Society to scale up its operations and increase the number of non-market rental units in the community.
At its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 14, Revelstoke City Council voted unanimously to endorse a non-profit housing developer and operator model. Under that model, the Revelstoke Community Housing Society will act as the primary developer and operator of non-market housing units.
While the exact cost is yet to be determined, in a report to council, Director of Development Services Paul Simon, said costs could range from $100,000 to $400,000 per year until RCHS is financially sustainable. There would be no ongoing operational costs for the city.
The city’s financial support for the housing society is contingent on several factors including the provision of a business plan detailing how the society will scale its operations and the amount and duration of financial support it is requesting. Once the plan is reviewed by city staff, it will be brought to council for consideration as part of the budget deliberations for 2025.
In that same report, chief administrative officer Evan Parliament said providing non-marketing housing in the community is critical to ensuring Revelstoke remains a sustainable community with an adequate supply of housing.
A 2023 minor update to the City’s Housing Needs Assessment anticipates the need for more than 450 additional dwelling units in the community by 2028.
In a presentation to council, Sandy Mackay, housing research and policy lead with M’akola Development Services said endorsement of the non-profit housing developer and operator model is the concluding piece of the Revelstoke Housing Entity Study. The study is part of the Housing Solutions Project, which city staff have been leading since last fall. The city engaged the services of M’akola Development Services in the fall of 2023, to complete the housing study.
Speaking to council, Revelstoke Community Housing Society society co-chair Sheena Wells said the society is coming to the end of a two year strategic plan where the primary goal was to create the capacity and the administrative functions to scale up and respond to larger request for proposals such as the one for the Downie Street Housing Project.
There are currently just over 250 dedicated non-market housing units in the city of Revelstoke, operated by a variety of organizations including the housing society, BC Housing, and Interior Health.
Currently, the housing society’s portfolio includes the Bridge Creek Apartments, and the Oscar Duplex and Oscar Town homes. The society has also responded to a request for proposal from BC Housing to be the developer and operator of the Downie Street Housing Project. That project is anticipated to add 160 units of non-market housing to the community.
