The Town of Smithers is encouraging creating more rental housing with a policy program.
This Rental Housing Incentive Program policy provides financial and regulatory incentives to individuals and organizations to create long term rental housing.
According to Mayor Gladys Atrill this incentive policy was launched last year and will look at potential partnerships and whether to work with private or public sectors.
She said that the main focus on this program is to bring in more rental housing in the community with the shortage of housing that is in the area.
“We are hoping that we will see an increase in the rental market housing so, time will tell but we are using the tools that we have by making more parts of town available for increased density housing and then through the policy connecting potential developers with funding,” Atrill said.
Additionally, through Northern Development Initiative Trust the Town of Smithers is accepting applications for its Dollars to Doors program for a housing project for either rental or for sale.
According to Atrill, the Town sees that there is a housing crunch within the area.
She said that she hears on a regular basis from people who can’t find housing.
“Being able to add any dwelling unit into our housing stock is exciting or a relief. We just need to do everything we can together to increase the availability of places for people to live,” Atrill said.
She added that anyone interested in either program is being encouraged to look on the Town’s website.
Meanwhile, the Rental Housing Incentive Program Policy is ongoing therefore, there is no application deadline.