LC-2021-05 - Municipal Opportunities and Planning Tools to Support Affordable Housing

Lanark County is seeking a qualified consultant to analyze the housing affordability need and make recommendations; to provide a broad overview of key characteristics and trends impacting current and future housing affordability demands within Lanark County, including the Town of Smiths Falls, and create a toolkit of municipal and planning tools to address needs and demands. The resulting report will evaluate the current state of housing affordability, and will provide critical information, strategic recommendations, and highlight priorities for housing, while building a framework to address current and future gaps in affordability through municipal opportunities and planning tools.
The report will support, and elaborate on, Strategic Direction 2 and 5 of Lanark County’s 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. The report will not make recommendations around the County developing community housing, Rent Geared to Income Housing, Portable Housing Benefits, etc. These items are addressed in the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. The report will focus on recommending municipal and planning tools to encourage development of affordable housing (both homeownership and rental) by third party developers to help address the affordability demands.