REGINA – Increasing the amount and affordability of housing in the city were a couple of the main focuses of the 2014 Mayor’s Housing Summit.
“We’re heading in the right direction but we have to do more, and this is all about getting some new ideas,” said Mayor Michael Fougere.
The inspiration stemmed from a day of networking and presentations at the summit held in the Delta Regina hotel.
“To effect change, to provide more housing, more affordable housing, more social housing, that’s what we want to do. That’s why we’re here today. So I can’t stress enough we’re doing that. Can it be fast enough for some people? Apparently not,” said Fougere.
The summit was attended by 102 delegates, 48 non-profit groups, and 40 people. At noon, a few dozen people attended a press conference for the Alternative Housing Summit held right outside of the building.
“We view ourselves as being complimentary to what’s going on inside here today, but I think we need to make some targeted investments into supporting students,” said Devon Peters, University of Regina Students’ Union President.
Peters said that includes better public education on tenants’ rights.
“But what we haven’t seen is a correspondence with affordability of rental units. Rents continue to rise even as the vacancy rate rises and that’s of great concern to us,” said Peter Gilmer, an advocate for the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry.
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According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Regina jumped 4.7 per cent between 2012 and 2013.
The average jumped again between 2013 and 2014 by 3.2 per cent.
Despite those trends, the mayor hopes city council approving over 1,000 rental units coming to the market this year or the next will help.
“If you have a larger supply the price will go down to meet the demand that’s there. So yes, it will have an effect in affordability,” he said.
Tickets to the housing summit cost $175 each.
The numbers weren’t finalized by the time of publication, but the event is expected to have cost $60,000; $56,000 in revenues should bring down the cost to $4,000.
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