Various changes coming into effect this year at the North Battleford Housing Authority were among the items outlined by representatives of the organization at city council Monday.
A delegation consisting of Murray Greenwood and Jeremy Reynoldson, provided an update on their housing programs and role in the community, as well as some policy changes.
Key among the changes are new policies that took effect Feb. 1 with respect to social housing that changes the way it is administered and who is eligible. Among them are the following:
Rent is based on 30 per cent of gross monthly household income. Previous to that it was based on a sliding scale. Another policy change is that the lowest minimum rent that can be charged is $326 per month, an increase from the previous minimum rent of $100.
There is now a minimum security deposit of $326 to all new tenants. Previously there was no minimum.
The most significant change, Reynoldson said, was with respect to eligibility restrictions. If you are a senior applying for the Senior Social Housing Program, your income must be below $32,000 a year to be eligible. As well, there is a $200,000 asset limit.
There are also some changes impacting families, with an asset limit of $50,000.
The changes were made by the Ministry of Social Services, under whose umbrella social housing falls, in an effort "to make sure that Saskatchewan people with the greatest housing need, such as those fleeing domestic violence, or those struggling with homelessness, low-income or a permanent disability, have better access to the Social Housing Program," Social Services Minister June Draude said at the time of the announcement.
"These changes will help make room in our social housing for those truly in need by encouraging people with adequate resources to move into the private market."
The NB Housing Authority provides housing at various locations in the community. They include senior housing units at Davidson Manor, Valleyview Towers, Ruth Whyte Manor and River Heights Cottages; at Golden Years Lodge, Meadow Sweet Manor and at a duplex at 18th and 25th Street and 3rd Avenue Crescent in Battleford. Their affordable housing units, targeted at more moderate income households, include Riverside Manor, Territorial Manor, Deer Valley Apartments, Cec David Estates and at two duplexes on 25th Street in Battleford. They also offer family social housing units targeted at low-income seniors and families and those are located at Jackson Apartments, Chisholm Place, and houses at various addresses in North Battleford.
Previously, the housing authority outlined the changes to Battleford town council.
The NBHA has an agreement with Battleford Housing Authority's board of directors to provide the day-to-day administration and property management services there.
In response to a question from Councillor Ryan Bater, Reynoldson confirmed there was a waiting list for what NBHA offers.
Reynoldson reported many months they were averaging 100 on the waiting list, but that has declined to about 75 when the new rules came in, as a number of people dropped off, mainly on the seniors list. About three-quarters are on the social housing side, he noted.
The biggest impact of the changes was on the seniors eligibility side of things "where our allocation has slowed down a bit," said Reynoldson. "With the new $32,000 limit, couples were having a harder time meeting it and our two-bedrooms are taking longer to allocate, but it's still early on in the change."
In response to a question from Councillor Greg Lightfoot about whether other communities were seeing similar demand, Reynoldson noted that was the case and pointed to the strong economy as a major factor, particularly from 2007 on.
"We went from having vacancy issues to having applicant waiting list issues. It's a similar story throughout the province," said Reynoldson.
As for the current tenants, they are grandfathered in with respect to eligibility, so anyone living at their current properties would be able to continue to do so. "We're not going to kick anybody out just because they have a high income," said Reynoldson. However, those tenants will see an impact in the rental calculation changes.
Mayor Ian Hamilton noted he had fielded numerous comments and questions from residents about the shift in policy and expressed appreciation to NBHA for the service they provide.
Reynoldson and Battleford Housing Authority board chair Mel Kozlowski recently attended a council meeting in Battleford with a similar report. Reynoldson said at that time the policy changes will help Social Services determine if they have been housing people who aren't really low income and whether they have enough stock to house those who are in need.
Those seeking more information about NBHA and their offerings can contact them at their websites www.nbhousing.ca and www.battlefordhousing.ca.
