The city will be making its first inroads to increasing the availability of affordable housing.
During Monday night's meeting, city council will vote on a new affordable housing policy that would put into motion a variety of staff tasks to increase the city's housing stock.
The recommendations from the city's homelessness and affordable housing committee aim to address the city's shifting demographics, which a report to council outlines as an increase in seniors and and a decrease in family size. The population of Prince George is also expected to grow at a minimum of 0.4 per cent annually until 2025.
"If trends observed in other similar B.C. communities with older populations hold, then the vast majority of new housing will need to be multiple residential, or at least senior-friendly," said the report.
Providing incentives for developers to build multi-family residences could help increase the availability.
Among the tasks paired with the new policy are for staff to review bylaws to add provisions for detached secondary suites (like carriage or laneway homes), development cost charge exemptions for non-profits and swapping the contribution of community amenities for a developer's ability to build more than is usually allowed in a space.
The city could also be given leeway to fast track innovative affordable housing proposals and lead by example by spearheading seniors or student housing projects.
