Housing projects will have an easier time getting built in the north, thanks to incentive programs introduced by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).
Three new programs by NDIT will apply new money to the kinds of housing projects thought to be the most needed in the northern region. They are intended to "support local governments in the creation of new, market-based housing units across northern B.C.," said NDIT's director of marketing and communications Holly Plato.
The three new funding streams are called: the Housing Needs Assessment Program, the Community Planning For Housing Program, and the Northern Housing Incentive Program. When local governments around the region have housing developments to consider, these are now in place, designed to be step-by-step processes, to assist them being completed.
"Communities throughout northern B.C. have identified a real need for new housing developments and through these programs, local governments can seize the opportunity to grow their population and their economy," said Tom Hoffman, the acting-chair of NDIT's board of directors. "The board is very pleased to support this type of initiative which supports development and sustainability."
The Housing Needs Assessment Program provides one-time grant funding to local governments for the development of a comprehensive housing needs assessment that covers the entire community.
The Community Planning For Housing Program provides grants for municipalities and regional districts to assist with the cost of hiring a staff position to support the development of the community's housing needs over a 12-month period. The host community is required to pay part of the required salaries.
The Northern Housing Incentive Program provides grants to local governments to incentivizing private sector housing developments. Local governments are eligible to receive a grant up to $10,000 per dwelling for proposed multi-unit housing projects (to a maximum of $200,000).
