Housing Strategy
In 2020, a Housing Study was developed as part of a Provincial initiative that will enable the City of Fort St. John to better understand and respond to our community’s current and future housing needs. The Housing Study had two parts, a Housing Needs Report (HNR [PDF - 891 KB]), the study that looks to understand the current housing situation, and the Housing Strategy [PDF - 994 KB], which describes policies and actions to help the City, and other partners, including community organizations, the Northern Health Authority, private and non-profit developers, and service and support providers, create and maintain an affordable, safe and suitable supply of housing over the next 10 years that will meet the needs of all City residents. As a community, access to a range of affordable housing and a diversity of housing types are essential to ensure that we all thrive.
The province passed legislation at the end of 2023 that required all municipalities to update their Housing Needs Report with the most recent census data by December 31st, 2024, and moving forward this needs to be completed every 5 years. The HNR now includes projected housing targets for 5 and 20 years. These projected targets also must be incorporated into the Official Community Plan, to help inform decisions related to housing development in our community.
The Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan is intended to be a community-supported and led plan with actions expected to be implemented through the collective efforts of multiple partners, including all levels of government and both the private and non-profit sectors. The Strategy aligns with the community’s aspirations for Fort St. John in 2030, as described in the Official Community Plan Vision:
“Fort St. John will be a flourishing community where nature lives, businesses prosper, families are active, and diversity is celebrated.”
The Official Community Plan is currently undergoing an update and is targeted to complete to meet legislated requirements to be complete by the end of 2025. The housing strategy will be updated as required after the Official Community Plan is adopted.
Providing safe and adequate housing is not solely the responsibility of the City of Fort St. John or any single entity. Instead, it requires the collective efforts of a broad range of partners, including all levels of government, to come together to implement the recommended actions. All levels of government and non-profit and private organizations have various responsibilities related to housing in the community.
