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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,M arch 18,2021 theifp.ca Recognizing the short- age of affordable in hous- ing in Halton Hills, the Town is taking steps to in- crease the supply. A recent affordable housing open house led by the Town discussed some of the current initiatives while looking to gather in- put from residents. "Affordable housing is a strategic plan priority," Nicole Pal, economic de- velopment and special projects co-ordinator for the Town of Halton Hills, said. Last year, Halton Hills had a rental vacancy rate of 1.5 per cent, though it's climbed in 2021 to 1.9 per cent. A healthy vacancy rate is 3 per cent. "We're looking for any and all opportunities to in- crease the supply of afford- able housing," Pal said. For home-owning resi- dents, that comes in the form of increased permis- sions for accessory suites. "We're working to pro- mote and create awareness of the benefits of creating a second unit," Pal said. Rental income from suites can help owners pay down their mortgages while increasing the sup- ply of affordable housing. The current lack of sup- ply in rental units, howev- er, has driven up the price of available units. The average rental unit price in Halton Hills was reported at $1,245 per month, though the only two rental units currently vacant on Kijiji as of writ- ing this had an average rental price of $1,525 per month for one bedroom, one bathroom basement units. "In terms of shelter costs, it is exceedingly high for something that is typi- cally a deeply affordable part of the housing stock," Pal said. The Town also looks to entice developers to create affordable housing oppor- tunities. "We do our best to sup- port them through the ap- provals process," Pal said. From fee waivers and development charge defer- rals, the Town has a num- ber of tools to encourage af- fordable housing from de- velopers. "Many affordable hous- ing projects need help from all levels of government," Pal said. In November, the Town announced an affordable housing opportunity at 17 Guelph St. in Georgetown. The Town earmarked $284,000 in the 2021 capital budget for pre-develop- ment activities on the prop- erty. Now, the Town hopes to attract a developer to com- plete the project, which, in its preliminary stages, has been pitched as a four-sto- rey building with 14 afford- able units. To ensure the project re- mains an affordable hous- ing property, the Town is implementing a 'land-lease' agreement. There has been no af- fordable rental construc- tion in Halton Hills since 2011. "Developers are inter- ested in building afford- able housing," Pal said, "but it has to make finan- cial sense." COUNCIL Shown here is 17 Guelph St., a potential site for an affordable housing complex that could begin construction as early as 2022. Google Maps photo TOWN TAKES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com "We're looking for any and all opportunities to increase the supply of affordable housing." - Nicole Pal, economic development and special projects co-ordinator for the Town of Halton Hills Let your community know you're open for business. ommunity c ourt yeL To help our communitieswe have created an online business directory that features local businesses that are open, hours of operation and how customers can safelymake purchases from your store. Our business directory can be accessed from anyone of our 25 Community sites in Ontario. Visit metroland.com to find the community site in your area. Signing up is easy and free. 1 Visit our community website in your area and click on the banner at the bottom of the page 2 Click the "Add Business" link 3 Complete and submit the formSubmit www.metroland.com Cut out paying more Your only destination for more coupons, more flyers, more savings. #SavingWithSave Save $1.00 On One (1) Green Giant* 12 pack of Nibblers* Extra Sweet Frozen Corn-on-the-Cob save.ca/couponsScan to get coupons © 2020 B&G Foods Canada, ULC. All Rights Reserved. *T.M. of B&G Foods North America, Inc., used under license.