Brantford S&D Report March - 06

Brant/Brantford Affordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis Report
Revised March 2006
AcknowledgementS
The communitys successful bid to receive funding during the first round of the National Housing Initiative in 2004, for 102 units of affordable housing can be attributed to:
Community Partners from the public, non-profit and private sectors, who
greatly inspired and contributed to the work of the Affordable Housing Strategy in 2002/03 and who have, and continue to, champion the cause of affordable housing within the City and County.
City and County Councilors who recognize and support the work done
by the community to articulate the need for all residents to have safe, affordable homes. Our elected officials have taken up the banner for affordable housing. Political will is a critical factor in realizing this strategy and we are grateful to our elected officials for demonstrating this will.
SHS Inc., Social Housing Strategists, Christine Pacini, Edward

Starr, and Spencer Ferdinand provided their expertise and hours of hard work to support and guide the taskforce in preparing the original documents, and they continue to provide guidance to help develop our successful projects. This 2005 revised Plan is founded on their excellent work completed in the 2003 Demand and Supply Analysis, and Affordable Housing Strategy.
Sherry McGee 2005 summer student with the Housing Department, who
skillfully reviewed the 2003 Demand and Supply Analysis, and Affordable Housing Strategy updating statistics and reviewing the information with community stakeholders. This revised document will provide the information required to qualify for the new Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program announced August 31, 2005.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary .............................................................. 1
Summary of Recommendations ............................4
Section 1: Section 2:
Introduction ................................................... 6 Housing Demand Analysis........................... 8

Population................................................................8 Household Growth and Distribution......................14 Economic Profile .....................................................20
Section 3: Housing Supply Analysis................................... 28

Dwelling Types ........................................................28 Condition of Housing Stock ...................................32 New Housing Supply...............................................34 Availability of Rental Housing................................44 Housing for Specific Populations ..........................47 Cost of Ownership ..................................................67 Cost of Rental Housing...........................................71 Affordability Analysis .............................................72 Canada / Ontario Affordable Housing Program....74
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Table 2 Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7: Table 8: Table 9: Table 10: Table 11: Table 12: Table 13: Table 14: Table 15: Table 16: Table 17: Table 18: Table 19: Table 20: Table 21: Table 22: Table 23: Table 24: Table 25: Table 26: Table 27: Table 28: Table 29: Table 30: Table 31: Table 32: Table 33: Table 34: Table 35: Table 36: Table 37: Table 38: Table 39: Table 40: Table 41: Table 42: Table 43: Table 44: Table 45: Table 46: Comparative Growth Rates 1981-2001 ............................................................ 8 Historical Population ........................................................................................ 9 Trends in Age Distribution by Age Group (Working Age).................................. 10 Trends in Age Distribution by Age Group (60+) ................................................ 10 Ministry of Finance Population Projections by Age ........................................... 13 Trends in Household Growth ............................................................................ 15 Trends in Household Size by Municipality 1986-2001 ...................................... 15 Persons per Household 1986-2001 .................................................................. 15 Population by Household Type 1991-2001....................................................... 16 Projected Number of Households 2001-2021................................................... 19 Labour Force Activity 1996 & 2001................................................................... 20 Labour Force Activity by Industry 1996 & 2001 ................................................ 21 Comparison of Average Household Income 1996 & 2001 ............................... 21 Comparison of Median Household Income 1996 & 2001 ................................. 22 Comparison of Average Individual Income 1991-2001 ..................................... 22 Household Income 1996 & 2001 ...................................................................... 23 Household Income 2001................................................................................... 24 Median Individual Income 1996 & 2001............................................................ 24 Incidence of Low Income (LICO) 2001 ............................................................. 26 Median Income by Family Type (Brantford) 1996-2000.................................... 27 Median Income by Family Type (Ontario) 1996-2000....................................... 27 Occupied Private Dwellings (Brant/Brantford) 1991-2001 ................................ 29 Occupied Private Dwellings by Municipality 2001............................................. 30 Dwellings by Tenure 1986-2001 ....................................................................... 32 Dwellings by Age and Municipality 2001........................................................... 33 Condition of Dwellings 2001 ............................................................................. 34 Housing Starts (Brantford) 2000-2004 .............................................................. 34 Occupancy/Completion Certificates Issued (Brantford) 2002-2004 .................. 35 Number of Permits Issued (Brantford) 1985-2004 ............................................ 36 Comparison of New Residential Activity 2001-2005 ......................................... 39 Permits Issued, (Brant) 2002-2004 ................................................................... 39 Summary-Residential Subdivision Potential (Brantford 12/2004) ..................... 40 Total-Residential Subdivision Potential (Brantford 1993-2004) ........................ 41 Short-Term Housing Supply (Brantford 12/2004).............................................. 42 Occupied Private Dwellings- Tenure & Type 2001 ........................................... 45 Rental Housing Vacancy Rates (Brantford) ..................................................... 46 Assisted Housing Supply 2005 ......................................................................... 48 Social Housing Waiting List August 2005 ......................................................... 48 Nova Vita Womens Shelter Service Statistics 1999-2005................................ 55 Historical Comparison- Housing Prices (Brantford) 1999-2004 ........................ 68 MLS Sales by Price Category 2003 & 2004 ..................................................... 70 Homes Listed for Sale (July 2005) .................................................................. 71 Average Rents (Brantford) 1999-2004.............................................................. 71 Affordable Rent & Ownership Costs Based on Income ................................... 73 Comparison-Average Rents to Affordable Rents 2005 ..................................... 73 Private Apartment Vacancy rates 2004-2005 ................................................... 74
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7: Figure 8: Figure 9: Figure 10: Figure 11: Figure 12: Figure 13: Figure 14: Figure 15: Figure 16 Brant / Brantford Geographical Area..................................................7 Updated Population Estimates 2001-2021.........................................11 Trends in Household Growth 1986-2001 ...........................................14 Population by Family Type 1996-2001 Brant/Brantford .....................17 Population by Family Type 1996-2001 City of Brantford....................18 Projected Average Household Size 2001-2021 .................................19 Trends in Housing Tenure 1986-2001 ...............................................31 New Residential Units 2004...............................................................37 Residential Building Activity 1983-2004 .............................................38 Total Residential Subdivision Potential 1993-2000............................41 Average Apartment and Townhouse Rents 2000-2004 .....................46 Accommodation Related Crises 1997-2005.......................................58 Brant Native Housing Waiting List, 8/ 2005........................................61 Enrolment Rates Brantford Laurier 2002-2005 ..................................63 Dedicated Seniors Social Housing 2005 ...........................................64 Average MLS Residential Sale Price 1993-2004 ...............................69
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Section 1 of this document provides the reader with an overview of this report. It explains why the City of Brantford (the Service Manager for housing for the County as well as the City) was required to embark on a demand and supply analysis of its housing needs and stock, and how this report positions the City to apply for funding from senior levels of government to address identified shortages of housing for target populations. Section 2 presents statistical and demographic information with respect to population growth and projections, household distribution, an economic profile of the area as well as income levels. This section identifies the demand for housing, and the types of housing required with respect to size, form of tenure and affordability, by different population groups. Section 3 analyses the supply of housing stock that currently exists in the City and County. This analysis considers trends in new construction, condition of current stock and availability of rental, transitional and emergency housing for target groups such as Aboriginals, persons with special needs, youth, victims of violence, students, seniors and homeless individuals and families. Major findings from the Supply and Demand Analysis, as well as a summary of recommendations are included in this section for convenience.
MAJOR FINDINGS of the Demand and Supply Analysis:

Housing Affordability (Income):
The most serious affordability difficulties are found among lone parent families with children, and singles living on their own. A supply of accommodation that is affordable to these individuals and families is urgently needed in Brant/Brantford to reduce both poverty and homelessness. There is an increasing trend toward low-wage employment. Expanding the supply of affordable units so residents employed in low-wage employment are able to live and work in their home community is required. An adequate supply of affordable homes also ensures current and prospective employers that this community has a resident workforce. Rural residents incur additional living expenses such as transportation. The need for affordable housing for this group in the County is no less critical.
City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
Population, Changes and Trends:

Seniors Since 2003 all Municipally owned and operated seniors buildings (rent-geared to income and low market rent) have been restricted to persons 60 years of age or over. This has freed up approximately 190 units exclusively for this group. The waiting list for seniors rent-geared-to-income housing dropped 16%. Overall, the demand for affordable seniors housing is currently being met, however changing demographics will demand that the balance between seniors and non-seniors one bedroom accommodation be constantly monitored, and adjusted considering available housing stock. Single People and Couples The policy change for seniors housing has constricted the available housing options for non-senior singles and couples 16-59 years of age. As singles experience some of the worst affordability issues and lengthy waits, this group requires priority in new housing considerations. Aboriginals Discussions with Brant Native Housing indicate that housing for native persons is still in high demand in Brant/Brantford. The current waiting list for native specific rent-geared-to-income and affordable housing has a total of 231 applications, representing 560 adults and children. This represents a 48.1% increase from 2003, when approximately 130 applicants were on the waiting list, representing a total of 378 people. Special Needs This type of housing refers to units that have been modified for persons with physical disabilities, as well as other groups requiring support. This housing type allows these persons to live more independently. Special needs housing is in short supply for many individuals requiring support. Of particular consideration are youth, seniors, persons with mental illness, persons with physical disability/mobility impairment, and abused women and children. Emergency and Transitional Housing Community agencies continue to report increasing pressure on their services, due to the lack of affordable housing and supports for vulnerable populations, such as victims of abuse, persons with mental illness, and youth. Affordable housing with transitional supports allow many individuals and families to secure and maintain housing. Student Housing The need for student housing is a recent phenomena in this community. Enrolment at Laurier Brantford has increased tremendously since the universitys inception in 1995, when it totalled only 570 students. This past academic year (2004/05), Brantford Laurier had 1025 students, an increase of over 80%. In 2004/05, approximately 2/3 of students required accommodation in Brantford, and it is predicted that this number is likely to remain constant for the 2005/2006 academic year. As of September 2005, Brantford will have a total of 231 housing units dedicated to students. Additionally, the Y Homes project is just breaking ground in Sept. 05, and will provide 112 student units for the next academic year. Despite ongoing development efforts, the supply of student housing is expected to experience a shortfall of 338 units
in 2005/06, placing a further demand on this communitys limited affordable housing supply.
Current Demand for Affordable Housing:

Population and household forecasts point to a continuing and steady demand for housing units in Brant/Brantford. Based on growth forecasts for the area, it is expected that an average of 584 new units per year will need to be produced over the next twenty years, consisting of 449 units for the City of Brantford and 135 units for Brant County. According to a City of Brantford report, between 2001 and 2004, 80% of new units built within Brantford were single and semi-detached dwellings, despite the increasing need for a diversity of household types, and declining household sizes. The prices of such units are out for reach for a large portion of local residents. Recent housing production for purpose-built rental accommodation has been limited to the projects supported by the affordable housing program and Conversion RRAP. Approximately 70% of all housing in Brant/Brantford is comprised of owner-occupied dwellings. This high percentage reflects an unstable stock of rental accommodation as owners may at any time convert these rental units for private use. As of 2001, nearly 60% of the housing stock in Brantford was over 30 years old. Older dwellings play an important role in providing low-cost accommodation. It is important that measures are taken to address their state of repair, in order to retain this stock in the community. In 2005, CMHC reported a vacancy rate of 1.8% in Brantford. This was down considerably from the 3.1% rate in 2003. Generally, vacancy rates have been decreasing since 1998. The waiting list for rent-geared-to-income units has declined slightly. In July 2003, the waiting list stood at 1202; in July 2005, this figure had dropped to 1188. Although positive, singles seeking accommodation are still in great demand comprising 40% of the waiting list (bachelor or 1-bedroom units), indicating a critical need for affordable one bedroom accommodation for those less than 60 years of age. An analysis of residential development capacity shows that the City of Brantford possesses a number of sites and locations with the capacity to contribute towards meeting affordable housing needs. Opportunities are available to coordinate housing efforts with other important City planning objectives, such as downtown revitalization, and Brownfield redevelopment. Many such plans are currently in the early stages of implementation. The Y Apartments is developing 27 units of affordable rental housing, and an additional 112 beds of student housing, as part of the Downtown Revitalization Strategy. A private developer, Multani Homes is developing 51 units (39 onebedroom, 12 two-bedroom) one-bedroom units. Four of these units will be available
through referral from Participation House for residents that require units with modifications. The Dalhousie St. Church project is also in the process of being completed, and will include 17 loft-style units of affordable housing. Servicing infrastructure still presents a barrier to the development of affordable housing in many parts of Brant County. In Paris, Meadows Court Properties (G.K. York Developments) is converting the former Penmans plant into a 28-unit residential apartment complex. Twenty-four units will be dedicated under the Brantford-Brant affordable housing program with rental rate caps, while four will be market-rate apartments. This project has been met with great enthusiasm in Paris due to the fact it meets the communitys demand for affordable rental housing, as well as improving the aesthetic appeal of the building site.
SUMMARY of RECOMMENDATIONS
By comparing the characteristics of housing demand to trends in housing supply, it is possible to identify gaps in the housing market, which need to be addressed. Recommendations resulting from this comparison are as follows: 1. Maintain current production levels of housing development to meet the anticipated population growth in the City and County. (page12) 2. Increase the supply of housing for (non senior) singles. Changing demographics will demand that the balance between seniors and non-seniors one bedroom accommodation be constantly monitored, and adjusted considering available housing stock. (page 26) 3. Address immediate housing needs. Setting new housing supply targets does not address the concerns of the communitys most vulnerable residents (included are those forced to use emergency and non-traditional housing options). (page 28) 4. Encourage more diverse supply of housing in order to provide the range of units needed to meet the level of demand by those in all (particularly the lower) financial brackets. (page 30) 5. Ensure older housing stock remains viable. These dwellings play an important role in providing low-cost accommodation for local residents, and measures may need to be considered to address their state of repair, and increase their energy efficiency. (page 33) 6. Pursue incentives to encourage the construction of rental housing. Given the high cost currently associated with new construction, the housing needs of low
and modest income earners cannot be met without some form of support. There is a great need to ensure that additional incentives and policies are in place to encourage local builders, developers and construction trades to participate in the market for permanent affordable housing. (page 43) 7. Increase the supply of rental housing. At least 127 new rental-housing units per year need to be developed to meet the housing needs of households earning less than $20,000 annually. (page 46) 8. Increase the supply of affordable special needs housing and complementary support services for special needs groups such as: persons with mental illness, persons with developmental delays, persons with physical disability/mobility impairment, and those requiring respite care. (page 53) 9. Increase the supply of emergency and temporary/transitional housing. This shortage is exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing in which to transfer individuals and families to, from emergency accommodation. (page 60) 10. Expand the supply of Native housing in Brant/Brantford. (page 62) 11. Expand the supply of student housing. (page 64) 12. Ensure new housing meets the needs of aging population. Attention needs be placed on meeting both the accommodation and support services needs of seniors living in rural communities, enabling them to maintain their rural residence. Additionally, seniors who are at the low end of the income scale, or those who seek transitional housing, also need to be addressed. (page 67) 13. Ensure new housing is affordable for all residents. (page 74) 14. Include both the City of Brantford and Brant County in housing solutions. (page 75) 15. Continue to advocate for funds from all sectors to ensure that this plan meets its stated goals and objectives. (page 75)
1: INTRODUCTION
Overview
A number of demographic, social and economic conditions give rise to the demand for housing in a community. This report reviews the impact of the changing demographic, social, and economic conditions on housing needs currently facing Brant/Brantford.
Background:
In 2001 the responsibility for housing was transferred from the Province of Ontario to the City of Brantford. The Citys Housing Department assumed responsibility for funding social housing as well as collaborating with community partners to develop a system of services and supports within the community, ranging from programs for the absolute homeless to social housing policies promoting safe, affordable housing. Instantaneously, community concerns about the inadequate supply of affordable and subsidized rental housing in Brant/Brantford were raised. Community service providers noted how the lack of affordable housing was placing increased pressures on local programs and services. As a result of these concerns, the Director of the Housing Department assembled a Steering Committee of community leaders to develop an Affordable Housing Strategy for this Service Area, which includes both the City of Brantford and County of Brant. The overall purpose of the Affordable Housing Strategy was to develop a comprehensive community plan that effectively dealt with affordable housing issues in Brant County and Brantford. In July of 2003, an Affordable Housing Strategy, Affordable Housing Strategy Supply and Demand Analysis, and Executive Summary Report were completed, providing an extensive overview of this communitys affordable housing composition, emerging trends, and recommendations for action. Furthermore, these reports brought a greater awareness to the local community, and senior levels of government about the housing needs and challenges specific to Brantford/Brant. On May 25, 2002 the first round of the Ontario/Canada Affordable Housing Initiative was announced and the City of Brantford was well positioned with its study to qualify for $2.8 million for 102 units of affordable housing. Additionally, on August 31, 2005 the Provincial and Federal Governments announced a new round of allocations for housing, from which Brantford received a total of 2.8 million dollars for 40 homes and $600,000 for rent supplements. Most recently on March 31, 2006 the Provincial and Federal Governments announced additional funding of 2.8 million dollars for another 40 homes therefore Brantford will receive a total of 5.6 million dollars. These projects will be built according to the priorities identified in this updated report. Brantfords bid for funding from the first and second rounds of the Ontario-Canada Affordable Housing Initiative was successful due to the collaborative community effort in developing the Demand and Supply Analysis, developing the definition of Affordable Housing, the Facilities By-law, and the action plans, all of which were required criteria for this funding. Throughout this document the term affordable housing is used. In 2003 Affordable Housing (including rental prices) was calculated based on the following assumptions: Rental housing costs were calculated at 30% of household income;
Ownership housing costs were calculated based on a monthly tax rate equal to 0.125% of the house value; a 10% down payment; a mortgage interest rate of 6.50% and a 25 year amortization period.
Based on these assumptions, affordable rent and affordable ownership costs were calculated for household incomes in $10,000 increments from under $10,000, to an income of $50,000. This definition will continue to be used in this revision. (see page 73) What is Affordable Housing? Affordable housing should not be confused with social housing. Social housing consists of regulated accommodation where a rental subsidy is paid to the landlord based on a rent-geared-to-income test for the household. Although social housing is in fact affordable, the definition used for this document is broader in scope. Affordable housing for the purposes of this document includes housing that has lowmarket rent and even affordable home ownership models. All of these initiatives are geared to individuals and families requiring accommodation that fit the above definition. This 2005 revision reflects the changes resulting from the Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing funding, as well as recent changes in demographics, community policy, trends, and infrastructure that have occurred over the past two years.
Composition of this Service Area:

The Service Area for the City of Brantford includes two geographical areas: the City of Brantford and Brant County as shown in Figure 1. In order to facilitate the analysis, the term Brant/Brantford is used to refer to the area covered by both municipalities.
Figure 1: Brant/Brantford Geographical Area
2: Housing Demand Analysis

Purpose
This section provides an overview of the various housing needs currently facing Brant/Brantford.
Permanent Population Growth And Distribution

The 2001 census reported that Brant/Brantford possessed a permanent population of 118,485, an increase of 6.9% over the past 10 years. This represents a growth rate well below the province of Ontario, which grew 13.1% during this decade. Nevertheless, this growth of 7,700 persons does give rise to an increasing demand for housing in this area. Below we describe some of the recent changes to demographic profiles in the area and their impact on housing needs.
Comparative Population Growth Rates

Table 1 illustrates the increase in population that occurred between 1981 and 2001. This coincided with a strongly expanding economy across Ontario, although the percentage increase of the Brant/Brantford population was less than half that of Ontario as a whole. The economic slowdown of the mid-to-late 1990s is reflected in the slower growth observed from 1991 to 2001 in Ontario, however Brant/Brantfords growth remained constant.
Table 1: Comparative Growth Rates (1981 2001), Brant/Brantford and Ontario
Population 1981 Brant/Brantford Ontario 104,427 8,625,107 1991 110,806 10,084,885 Increase (%) 1981-91 Brant/Brantford Ontario 6.1% 16.9% 1991-2001 6.9% 13.1%
2001 118,485 11,410,046
Source: Statistics Canada, 1981, 1991, & 2001 Census
Population Growth Trends by Municipality

Table 2 shows population change by municipality from 1986 to 2001. This table illustrates the increasing level of growth being directed toward Brant County in recent years as a result of a trend toward suburbanization. While the City of Brantford increased its share of area population from 71.7% in 1986 to 74.0% in 1996, the trend has been reversed in recent years, with Brant Countys share increasing to 27.1% in
2001. This trend is evident in the many subdivisions currently under development in the County.
Brantford Table 2: Historical Population, City of Brantford, Brant County
Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford 1991 81,997 28,809 110,806 % 74.0% 26.0% 100.0% 2001 86,417 32,068 118,485 % 72.9% 27.1% 100.0%
Natural Increase and In-Migration

Data provided by Statistics Canada offers further insight about the nature of Brant/Brantfords population growth. Statistics Canada reports that the population of the area grew from 114,564 to 118,485 from 1996 to 2001, an increase of 3,921 persons. During this time period, there were 8,219 births and 6,413 deaths. This accounted for a net gain of 1,806 persons as a result of natural change (or 46.1%). The balance of population growth can be attributed to in-migration, which totalled 2,115 during this 5year period. The rate of natural increase and in-migration, as a result, are equally important proponents of population growth in Brant/Brantford. Similar data for the Province of Ontario show that provincial population grew from 10,964,925 to 11,249,490 from 1996 to 2001, an increase of 284,565 persons. The data also shows that births exceeded deaths by 182,160 persons; thus, resulting in a natural increase of 64.0% in Ontario, with in-migration accounting for the rest. It can be seen, therefore, that, in comparison to the Province as whole, in-migration is an especially significant contributor to population growth in Brant/Brantford. In terms of housing needs, the above observations indicate that growth in housing demand is equally important from within the local community, as well as from persons moving to Brant/Brantford from elsewhere. This growth will place an increased and sustained demand on Brant/Brantfords housing supply. A housing supply analysis, based on the projected population and household growth, will be provided later in the report.
Age Distribution Trends

Brant/Brantfords population is growing older; from 1986 to 2001, the proportion of the population in Brant/Brantford aged 45-64 years increased from 19.6% to 24.0%. These
figures are even greater than the Provincial average. At the same time, persons aged 24 and under, dropped from 38.1% of the total population to 33.3%. Table 3 illustrates growth trends in the age distribution of the working-aged population (16-59), consequently, those most likely to be participants in the housing market (renting or buying). Additionally, illustrated is the increase in middle-aged persons, many of who will be singles in need of smaller housing units.
Table 3: Trends in Age Distribution by Age Group of Working-Aged Population (16-59)

Brant/Brantford Age Group 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 TOTAL 1991 7,815 7,200 8,995 9,255 8,980 8,195 6,195 5,065 4,790 66,490 % 11.7% 10.8% 13.5% 13.9% 13.5% 12.3% 9.3% 7.6% 7.2% 100% 1996 7,770 7,055 6,910 9,245 9,455 9,040 8,140 6,095 5,035 68,745 % 11.3% 10.2% 10.0% 13.4% 13.7% 13.1% 11.8% 8.8% 7.3% 100% 2001 8,580 7,010 6,885 7,480 9,585 9,590 9,135 8,230 6,070 72,565 % 11.8% 9.6% 9.4% 10.3% 13.2% 13.2% 12.5% 11.3% 8.3% 100% Ontario 2001 769,420 718,420 729,655 828,840 989,845 969,675 859,130 776,145 584,495 7,225,625 % 10.6% 9.9% 10.0% 11.4% 13.6% 13.4% 11.8% 10.7% 8.0% 100%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census It is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census
Table 4 illustrates that the overall population of Brant/Brantford is aging, similar to the population trends currently occurring in Ontario. From 1986 to 2001, the proportion of the population in Brant/Brantford over the age of 65 grew from 12.8% to 14.4% of the total. This gradual aging of the population over time suggests an increasing need for housing and support services for seniors within Brant/Brantford. See page 64 for discussion on the housing for our senior population.
Table 4: Trends in Age Distribution by Age Group (60+)
Brant/Brantford Age Group 60-64 65-74 75 and over TOTAL 1991 4,900 8,820 6,485 20,205 % 24.2% 43.6% 32.0% 100% 1996 4,695 9,050 7,075 20,820 % 22.5% 43.4% 33.9% 100% 2001 5,030 8,840 8,220 22,090 % 22.7% 40.0% 37.2% 100% 2001 479,500 818,170 653,995 1,951,665 Ontario % 24.5% 41.9% 33.5% 100%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census It is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census
Projected Population Growth By Municipality
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The City of Brantford Planning Department has prepared forecasts of projected city population growth from 2001 to 2021. At the same time, Brant County prepared population forecasts as part of its Official Plan process. Figure 2 combines the forecast for the City of Brantford and the forecast for Brant County. Using these recent projections, the population in Brant/Brantford is estimated to increase from 118,485 in 2001, to 140,093 in 2021. If household size remains at current levels (2.6 persons per household), this will translate into a need for about 8,311 more housing units in Brant/Brantford, or an average of about 416 additional dwellings per year over the 20-year period. Figure 2: Updated Population Estimates for City of Brantford and Brant County, 2001-2021
180,000 160,000 Population Projection 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 2001 2006 2011 Year City Brant Total 2016 2021 32,068 35,323 38,820 42,262 45,649 86,417 118,485 127,703 92,380 136,745 97,925 145,382 103,120 152,899
107,250
Source: City of Brantford population projections may be subject to change pending the final approval of the Places to Grow Growth 1 Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, of which the City of Brantford and Brant County are part. *It is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census, yet are now subject to change as a result of 2 the Ontario Government Place to Grow* initiative.
However, given the aging of the population and trends toward more, smaller family households, household size is likely to decline, resulting in a need for a greater number and range of additional dwelling units throughout the area. More detailed forecasts of household growth taking these trends into account are provided later in this section. These will provide a better sense of future housing needs and development activity needed to sustain the expected population growth.
Population forecasts are being updated as part of the Citys Official Plan Review process. These updates have been approved by Council, and are therefore not available for public review at this time. Project Completion for the Official Plan Review is due in September, 2006. 2 Population forecasts are being updated as part of the Citys Official Plan Review process. These updates have been approved by Council, and are therefore not available for public review at this time. Project Completion for the Official Plan Review is due in September 2006. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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It should be noted that, as shown in Section 3, residential development activity in Brant/Brantford is generally keeping pace with projected growth trends. However, new residential development, as noted earlier, is starting to see multiples because of new subsidized programs, however the private market continues to be comprised almost entirely of single and semi-detached dwellings. These units serve mainly households at the higher end of the income scale, and are usually out of the reach to households at the lower end. Thus, a greater range of housing types is needed, as will be further illustrated in the later of this report. Recommendation 1: Maintain current production levels of housing development to meet the anticipated population growth in the City and County. Widespread construction of single and semi-detached homes is successfully meeting the needs of moderate and upper-income households. Many of these households are moving to the Brantford area, and choosing to commute to the GTA, due to lower housing costs, and the atmosphere of a smaller community.
Projected Population Growth By Age

Table 5 represents the Ontario Ministry of Finance population projections for Ontario.The projections show that the population age 65 and over is expected to increase from 13.5% of the total population in 2001 to 15.9% in 2016 and 20.2% in by 2026. These forecasts provide further evidence of the need to pay particular attention to forms of housing and supports suited to seniors.
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Table 5: Ministry of Finance Population Projections by Age, Brant/Brantford

Age Group
0 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49 50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64 65 to 69 70 to 74 75 to 79 80 to 84 85 to 89 90 + Total
2001
Total 7,120 9,010 9,300 9,450 8,770 8,010 7,980 10,330 10,280 9,540 8,390 6,250 5,180 4,610 4,310 3,880 2,430 1,400 590 126,830 % 5.6 7.1 7.3 7.5 6.9 6.3 6.3 8.1 8.1 7.5 6.6 4.9 4.1 3.6 3.4 3.1 1.9 1.1 0.5 100.0
2006
Total 7,050 7,320 9,170 9,470 9,720 9,160 8,360 8,190 10,440 10,290 9,460 8,230 6,060 4,900 4,160 3,610 2,910 1,530 840 130,860 % 5.4 5.6 7.0 7.2 7.4 7.0 6.4 6.3 8.0 7.9 7.2 6.3 4.6 3.7 3.2 2.8 2.2 1.2 0.6 100.0
2011
Total 7,580 7,250 7,490 9,340 9,740 10,100 9,510 8,570 8,320 10,460 10,210 9,290 7,980 5,750 4,450 3,510 2,720 1,840 1,010 135,120 % 5.6 5.4 5.5 6.9 7.2 7.5 7.0 6.3 6.2 7.7 7.6 6.9 5.9 4.3 3.3 2.6 2.0 1.4 0.7 100.0
2016
Total 8,000 7,790 7,420 7,670 9,630 10,140 10,470 9,730 8,710 8,370 10,380 10,050 9,020 7,580 5,240 3,780 2,680 1,750 1,230 139,660 % 5.7 5.6 5.3 5.5 6.9 7.3 7.5 7.0 6.2 6.0 7.4 7.2 6.5 5.4 3.8 2.7 1.9 1.3 0.9 100.0
2021
Total 8,120 8,220 7,970 7,610 7,970 10,050 10,520 10,700 9,880 8,770 8,340 10,230 9,780 8,600 6,920 4,490 2,930 1,750 1,270 144,120 % 5.6 5.7 5.5 5.3 5.5 7.0 7.3 7.4 6.9 6.1 5.8 7.1 6.8 6.0 4.8 3.1 2.0 1.2 0.9 100.0
2026
Total 7,890 8,350 8,410 8,170 7,920 8,410 10,440 10,770 10,860 9,940 8,740 8,240 9,980 9,340 7,890 5,970 3,510 1,940 1,310 148,100 % 5.3 5.6 5.7 5.5 5.3 5.7 7.0 7.3 7.3 6.7 5.9 5.6 6.7 6.3 5.3 4.0 2.4 1.3 0.9 100.0
Source: City of Brantford population projections may be subject to change pending the final approval of the Places to Grow Growth Plan for the 3 Greater Golden Horseshoe area, of which the City of Brantford and Brant County are part. *It is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census, yet are now subject to change as a result of the Ontario Government Place to Grow* initiative
Population forecasts are being updated as part of the Citys Official Plan Review process. These updates have been approved by Council, and are therefore not available for public review at this time. Project Completion for the Official Plan Review is due in September 2006. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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HOUSEHOLD GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION

Trends in Household Growth
While population growth is an important indicator of change, the demand for housing is actually a direct function of the number, and type of households currently in a community. Figure 3 and Table 5 show that the number of households in Brant/Brantford grew by 7,290 between 1986 and 2001. From a historical standpoint, as shown in Figure 3, the number of households in the City of Brantford and Brant/Brantford has been steadily increasing over the years.
Figure 3: Trends in Household Growth by Municipality, Brant County & City of Brantford, 19862001
50,000 40,000 # of Households 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1986 1991 Year Brant County
Source: Statistics Canada, 1986, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census
37,760 27,900
40,100 30,460
42,285 32,230
45,050
33,845
9,860
9,640
10,055
11,205
1996
2001
City of Brantford
Brant/Brantford
Table 6 illustrates that there was a relatively high level of growth in households between 1986 and 1991 in the City of Brantford in comparison to Brant County. The number of households increased by 9.2% in the City of Brantford, but declined by 2.2% in Brant County. The 1991 to 1996 period displays steady household growth in the two municipalities. During this period, the number of households in the City of Brantford increased by 5.8% and the number of households in Brant County grew by 4.3%. The 1996 to 2001 period displayed considerable variation in household growth between the City of Brantford and Brant County. The number of households in Brant County grew by 11.4%, compared to only 5.0% in the City of Brantford. This observation provides further evidence of the extent of recent suburban housing development in the area.
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Table 6: Trends in Household Growth, Brant County and City of Brantford 1991-2001
Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario 1991 30,460 9,640 40,100 3,638,360 1996 32,230 10,055 42,285 3,924,515 2001 33,845 11,205 45,050 4,219,415 % Change, 1991- % Change, 19961996 5.8% 4.3% 5.4% 7.9% 2001 5.0% 11.4% 6.5% 7.5%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census
Trends in Household Size

As shown in Table 7, since 1991 household size has slightly decreased from 2.8 to 2.6 persons in Brant/Brantford over the past 15 years, while remaining constant in the province at 2.7. In 2001, the decline in household size was particularly noticeable in the City of Brantford, which showed the smallest average household size at 2.5 persons per household in comparison to Brant Countys 2.8 and Brant/Brantfords 2.6.
Table 7: Trends in Household Size by Municipality, 1986-2001
Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario Source: Statistics Canada, 1986, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census 1986 2.7 3.0 2.8 2.8 1991 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.7 1996 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.7 2001 2.5 2.8 2.6 2.7
This observation points further to the aging of the population, and even more significant trends such as divorce, which in turn shows the need for a greater variety of unit types, particularly those designed for singles. Given the above trends, smaller household sizes are expected to continue. Table 8 sheds further light on the occupancy of housing within Brant/Brantford.
Table 8: Persons Per Household, Brant/Brantford, 1991-2001
1991 Household Size 1 Person 2 Persons 3 Persons 4-5 Persons 6+ Persons Total Total 8,400 12,835 7,130 10,515 1,220 40,100 % 20.9% 32.0% 17.8% 26.2% 3.0% 100.0% Total 9,385 13,690 7,180 10,750 1,275 42,280 1996 % 22.2% 32.4% 17.0% 25.4% 3.0% 100.0% Total 11,035 14,740 7,325 10,700 1,255 45,055 2001 % 24.5% 32.7% 16.3% 23.7% 2.8% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 and 2001 Census
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The proportion of one and two person households has increased steadily from 1991 to 2001 (from 52.9% of households to 57.2%). Conversely, the proportion of three to five person households has declined from 44% in 1991 to 40.0% in 2001. By comparison, 54.9% of the provincial population in 2001 contained one and two person households, lower than Brant/Brantford total of 57.2%. This table provides further evidence of the need to diversify housing types to accommodate the changing nature of the population, particularly regarding the need to provide additional units suited for smaller households.
Trends In Household Type

Table 9 shows that in 2001, 73.1% of the Brant/Brantford population was living within some type of family household, which includes: married-couple families, common-law couple families, and lone-parent families (male and/or female). There was a slight decline in the proportion of family households between 1991 and 2001, from 75.7% in 1991 to 74.6% in 1996 to 73.1% in 2001. The proportion of the population in family households in Brant/Brantford is somewhat higher than Ontario as a whole, 73.1% compared to 70.5% respectively.
Table 9: Population by Household Type, Brant/Brantford and Ontario, 1991-2001 1991 Family City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario 22,385 7,980 30,365 2,668,000 1996 Family City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario 23,235 8,325 31,560 2,857,065 2001 Family City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario 23,795 8,995 36,910 8,155,565 % of Total 69.2% 81.4% 75.2% 70.5% Non- Family 10,610 2,060 12,145 3,407,410 % of Total 30.8% 18.6% 24.8% 29.5% % of Total 72.1% 82.7% 74.6% 72.8% Non- Family 8,990 1,740 10,730 1,067,445 % of Total 27.9% 17.3% 25.4% 27.2% % of Total 73.5% 82.8% 75.7% 73.3% Non-Family4 8,075 1,660 9,735 970,370 % of Total 26.5% 17.2% 24.3% 26.7%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census
Census Canada defines Non-Family as one who is not living with a spouse/common-law and/or one who is living without children
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In terms of household type by municipality, census data shows that Brant County had a total of 81.4% family households, whereas the City of Brantford had a total of 70.3% (as noted in Table 9). This trend illustrates the greater degree of diversity in household types, and housing needs within the City, as compared to the County. Figures 4 and 5 display the various family types in Brant/Brantford and the City of Brantford for 1996, 1998 and 2000. The number of lone parent families in Brant/Brantford increased from 5,720 in 1996 to 6,360 in 2000, an increase of 11.2%. These increases place pressure on the local housing markets for affordable rental housing, especially for at-risk groups such as the single earner, and lone parent families. The number of dual earner households has also increased in Brant/Brantford (9.4%) and the City of Brantford (7.5%) in recent years. This increase points to the increased capability of many households in the area to support higher-end homes such as single detached homes. This high-demand market, in turn offers builders little incentive to build affordable housing units.
Figure 4: Population by Family Type, Brant/Brantford, 1996-2001
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Figure 5: Population by Family Type, City of Brantford, 1996-2001
Projected Household Growth

As noted earlier, the demand for dwelling units actually corresponds more directly to household growth than population growth. By identifying the rate and type of household growth, forecasts of housing demand can be prepared. The discussion accompanying Figure 2 on population projections indicated that the expected population growth would add approximately 21,600 persons to Brant/Brantford from 2001 to 2021, bringing the total population of the area from 118,485 in 2001 to approximately 140,093 by 2021. As well, Table 7 demonstrated that average household sizes have been steadily declining across the area. A more detailed look at these trends in household size finds that household size declined from an average of 2.67 persons in 1986 to 2.58 in 2001, approximately 0.22% per year. Utilizing this factor, which is supported by the continued aging of the population and the continued increase in single person households, it can be estimated that household size will decline further, as shown in Figure 6.
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Figure 6: Projected Average Household Size, Brant/Brantford, 2001-2021 70,000

Household Projection 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 2001 2006 2011 Year
City
Brant
Total
45,065 33,850
48,543 36,133
52,413 38,633
55,833 40,683
59,653 43,133
11,215
12,410
13,780
15,150
16,520
2016
2021
Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2001, SHS Inc. Projections *it is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census, yet are subject to change as a result of the Ontario Government Place to Grow* initiative.
Applying these household size projections with previously determined population projections (Figure 2), the anticipated household forecasts are shown in Table 12. As shown, the number of households in Brant/Brantford is expected to grow from 45,050 in 2001 to about 56,718 in 2021, an increase of 11,668, or about 584 households per year. This indicates that there is a need to add an average of about 584 new dwellings per year across Brant/Brantford to the year 2021 to keep pace with household growth. Table 10: Projected Number of Households, Brant/Brantford: 2001 2021
Year 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Projected Population 118,485 (actual) 127,703 137,203 145,382 153,669 Projected Persons Per Household* 2.58 (actual) 2.63 2.62 2.60 2.58 Projected Number of Households 45,050 (actual) 48,543 52,413 55,833 59,653
Source: City of Brantford population projections may be subject to change pending the final approval of the Places to Grow Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe area, of which the City of Brantford and Brant 5 County are part. *It is to be noted that these populations projections are up to date as of 2001 census, yet are now subject to change as a result of the Ontario Government Place to Grow* initiative *Note: the projected persons per household is, on average, higher in Brant County, with an average of 2.81 and the City of Brantford with an average of 2.53 persons per household over this timeframe.
In terms of individual municipalities, Table 7 showed that the historical decline in household size has been most pronounced within the City of Brantford, which saw its
Population forecasts are being updated as part of the Citys Official Plan Review process. These updates have been approved by Council, and are therefore not available for public review at this time. Project Completion for the Official Plan Review is due in September 2006. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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household size decline to 2.5 persons per household in 2001. This is consistent with the above forecasts and demonstrates that, from a geographical standpoint, the greatest need for single-person housing (students, seniors, and singles) in Brant/Brantford over the next fifteen years will be in the City of Brantford itself.
ECONOMIC PROFILE
To understand the current and future demand for housing, it is important to understand the economic profile of the area and how changing economic conditions affect the housing demand. The following section discusses recent economic trends, and their impact on housing in Brant/Brantford.
Labour Force Activity by Municipality

Table 11 classifies labour force activity by municipality based on the 1996 and 2001 census reports. Labour force refers to residents of Brant/Brantford who are employed or seeking employment, regardless of whether they live in or outside of Brant/Branford. It illustrates a total labour force of approximately 62, 065 in 2001 in Brant/Brantford, with only a slight increase from 1996. Labour force activity in the City of Brantford and Brant County is consistent with provincial norms.
Table 11: Labour Force Activity by Municipality, 1996 & 2001
1996 Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Total % Total 2001 %
41,585 16, 035
72.2% 27.8%
44, 540 17,525
71.7% 28.2% 100.0%
Brant/Brantford Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 census
57, 620
100.0%
62, 065
Labour Force Activity by Industry and Municipality

One of the major findings, as shown in Table 12, is the increase in the proportion of business services throughout the area. Some 4.2% of Brant/Brantfords population was employed in Business Services in 1996. By comparison, this figure increased to 14.8% for Brant/Brantford in 2001. This can be mainly attributed to recent growth in employment at the NCO Call Centre, Charity Casino, and other service activities recently established within the City of Brantford. Interestingly, some 19.3% of City of Brantford, 16.8% of Brant County and 18.6% of Brant/Brantfords population were employed in wholesale and retail trade industries in 1996. As shown in Table 12, however, the proportion of employment in wholesale and retail trade industries declined significantly in 2001. Some of this decline can be attributed to the decline of the City of Brantfords downtown shopping district after the demise of the Eaton Centre.
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Table 12: Labour Force Activity by Industry, City of Brantford and Brant County, 1996 & 2001
Brant County % of Total Industry Manufacturing and Construction Industries Other Services Wholesale and Retail Trade Business Services Health and Education Finance and Real Estate Agriculture and Other Resourcebased Industries Total 1996 29.8% 17.8% 16.8% 12.5% 15.7% 2.8% 4.1% 100% 2001 28.0% 14.4% 15.0% 14.4% 14.4% 3.9% 9.9% 100.0% 1996 32.5% 8.3% 19.3% 14.5% 17.4% 3.7% 3.8% 100% City of Brantford % of Total 2001 32.6% 17.1% 15.1% 14.9% 14.7% 4.0% 1.4% 100.0% 1996 31.7% 11.0% 18.6% 14.0% 17.0% 3.5% 3.9% 100% Brant/Brantford % of Total 2001 31.3% 16.3% 15.1% 14.8% 14.6% 4.0% 3.9% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1996& 2001 Census Other Services includes the following industry categories: Personal and Laundry Services, Repair and Maintenance, Religious, Grant-Making, Civic, and Professional and Similar Organizations, Private Households. For a complete list see: Statistics Canada: North American Industry Classification (NAICS) 2002
Trends in Household Income

Table 13 (below) shows that average household incomes in Brant/Brantford in 2001 were $48,962. This figure is well below the Ontario average ($55,310), and slightly below the Canadian average ($48,999). Interestingly, average household income in Brant/Brantford increased (from 1996-2001) at a similar rate to that of the province (1.8%), while the national increase was at a much lower rate of 0.9%. Despite Canadas small increase, Brant/Brantford is still behind both national and provincial household income average.
Table 13: Comparison of Average Household Income, 1996 & 2001
Average Household Income 1996 Brant/Brantford $48,086 Ontario $54,291 Canada $48,552 Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 Census 2001 $48,962 $55,310 $48,999 % Change, 1996-2001 1.8% 1.8% 0.9%
Median household incomes are shown in Table 14, and are perhaps more representative of the population as a whole. In 1996, the median household income in Brant/Brantford was $41,367, compared to $45,155 for Ontario and $40,209 for Canada. Both the median and average incomes illustrate the generally modest levels of earnings among Brant/Brantford residents. This further signifies the need to place emphasis on affordable housing production.
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Table 14: Comparison of Median Household Income, 1996 & 2001

Median Household Income 1996 Brant/Brantford Ontario Canada Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 Census * Median incomes for Brant/Brantford calculated using average of medians of Brant/Brantford respectively (46,254, 38,188) $41,367 $45,155 $40,209 2001 $42,221 $44,727 $39,590 % Change, 1996-2001 2.0% -0.9% -1.5%
Trends in Individual Income

Taxation data was also used to determine median individual incomes, as shown in Table 15. According to the taxation data, in 1991, median individual income was $19,700 in Brant/Brantford and $19,900 in the City of Brantford. Theses figures are slightly below the Ontario median ($21,500), and slightly above the national median of $19,300. In 2001, the City of Brantford median individual income ($30,500) was slightly lower than Brant/Brantford ($30,900). The 1991 to 1996 period marked a period of negative median income growth nationally (-1.6%) and provincially (-2.3%). It is interesting to note that income growth during this period was actually slightly positive in Brant/Brantford (1.0%) and Brantford (0.5%). As shown in Table 15, individual income grew rapidly between 1996 and 2001; individual median income increased by 12.5% in Brantford, 13.6% in Brant/Brantford, 14.3% in Ontario, and 13.7% in Canada between 1996 and 2000.
Table 15: Comparison of Average Individual Income, 1991 - 2001
Median Individual Income 1991 City of Brantford Brant/Brantford Ontario Canada 19,900 19,700 21,500 19,300 1996 20,000 19,900 21,000 19,000 2001 22,500 22,600 24,000 21,600 % Change 19911996 0.5% 1.0% -2.3% -1.6% % Change 19962001 12.5% 13.6% 14.3% 13.7%
Source: Statistics Canada, Taxation Data, 1991 to 2001
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Trends in Household Income Distribution

Table 16 provides further evidence of the modest nature of household incomes in Brant/Brantford. It demonstrates that, as of 1996, almost half of all households in Brant/Brantford (48.2) had annual incomes below $40,000. Additionally, 35.8% had incomes below $30,000.
Table 16: Household Income, Brant/Brantford, 1996-2001
Income Range Under $10,000 $10,000 - $19,999 $20,000 - $29,999 $30,000 - $39,999 $40,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $59,999 $60,000 - $69,999 $70,000 and over All Private Households 1996 2,230 6,990 5,930 5,235 4,960 4,410 3,700 8,825 42,280 % of Total 5.3% 16.5% 14.0% 12.4% 11.7% 10.4% 8.8% 20.9% 100.0% 2001 2,205 5,690 5,390 5,385 4,690 4,285 4,025 13,195 44,865 % of Total 4.9% 12.6% 12.0% 12.0% 10.4% 9.5% 8.9% 29.4% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 Census
Table 16 shows that the actual number of households earning under $20,000 and $30,000 dropped by approximately 14.3% and 12.3% respectively between 1996 and 2001. This indicates a rise in the local economy; although seemingly positive, those earning over $60,000 increased 37.4% while those earning $70,000 and over nearly doubled, increasing a sizeable 49.5%. Thus proving that the gap between low-income earners and high-income earners is widening significantly, and that a high proportion of households at the lower end of the income spectrum continue to face severe affordability issues in finding and maintaining housing within Brant/Brantford. .
Household Income by Municipality

Table 17 provides a breakdown of household income by municipality. It shows that the City of Brantford had the highest proportion of households at the lower end of the income scale. A total of 32.7% of City of Brantford, and 22% of Brant County households earned under $30,000 in 2001. This table further reinforces the need for affordable accommodation across the area, especially within the City.
Trends in Median Individual Income Distribution

Even though median individual income escalated rapidly between 1996 and 2001, as shown in Table 19, income distributions show a high concentration of individuals at the lower end of the income scale. Table 20 provides further evidence of the modest nature of individual incomes in Brant/Brantford. 1996 Statistics Canada data show that close to 60% of Brant/Brantfords population shows individual income less than $25,000. This figure improved slightly, declining to 54.2% in 2001. Nevertheless, Brant/Brantford individual income levels are still lower than the provincial average. Calculations indicate that in Ontario, 53.3% of median individual incomes were below $25,000 in 1995, while in 2001, the proportion of individuals in Ontario earning less than $25,000 dropped slightly to 51.5%.
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Table 17: Household Income 2001

Income Range Under $10,000 $10,000 - $19,999 $20,000 - $29,999 $30,000 - $39,999 $40,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $59,999 $60,000 - $69,999 $70,000 - $79,999 $80,000 - $89,999 $90,000 - $99,999 $100,000 and over All households City of Brantford # 2,000 4,745 4,365 4,215 3,600 3,170 2,905 2,120 1,885 1,355 3,480 33,840 % 5.9% 14.0% 12.8% 12.4% 10.6% 9.3% 8.5% 6.2% 5.5% 4.0% 10.2% 100.00 # 205 945 1,025 1,190 1,090 1,115 1,120 880 825 660 1,990 9,765 Brant County % 2.0% 9.6% 10.4% 12.1% 11.1% 11.4% 11.4% 9.0% 8.4% 6.7% 20.3% 100.0% Brant/Brantford # 2,205 5,690 5,390 5,405 4,690 4,285 4,025 3,000 2,710 2,015 5,470 44,885 % 4.9% 12.6% 12.0% 12.0% 10.4% 9.5% 8.9% 6.6% 6.0% 4.4% 12.1% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census
Table 18: Median Individual Income, Brant/Brantford, 1996& 2001

1996 Less than $5,000 $5,000 - $9,999 $10,000 - $14,999 $15,000 - $19,999 $20,000 - $24,999 Subtotal (up to $24,999) $25,000 - $ 34,999 $35,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000 - $99,999 $100,000 - $149,999 $150,000 - $199,999 $200,000 - $249,999 $250,000 and over Total 10,180 9,920 12,200 10,050 8,100 50,405 13,350 11,870 6,750 1,210 490 140 70 110 84,440 % of Total 12.1% 11.7% 14.4% 11.9% 9.6% 59.7% 15.8% 14.1% 8.0% 1.4% 0.6% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 100.0% 2001 8,900 9,220 11,190 10,350 8,160 47,820 13,980 13,300 9,810 1,990 830 230 100 190 88,250 % of Total 10.1% 10.4% 12.7% 11.7% 9.2% 54.2% 15.8% 15.1% 11.1% 2.3% 0.9% 0.3% 0.1% 0.2% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, Taxation Data, 1996 to 2001
A further important measure of housing affordability is the incidence of low income among Brant/Brantford residents. Statistics Canada employs a term called Low Income Cut-offs (LICO) to identify the incidence of low-income families and singles living below the poverty line within a community. According to Statistics Canada, lowincome cut-offs are based on expenditures (food, clothing and shelter) as a percentage of family income. The Statistics Canada Family Expenditures Survey (FAMEX)
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estimated that an average family spends 50% of its income (prior to taxes) on these necessities. In order to calculate the low income cut off level, Statistics Canada added twenty extra points to this percentage, on the assumption that families or individuals spending 70% of income on food, clothing and shelter would be in strained circumstances. This 70% threshold was then converted into a set of low income cut offs varying with family and community size6. This data is highly informative in relation to the need for affordable housing, as offered in Table 19 (below). Table 19 quantifies the rates of low-income families, singles and total population across the municipalities, as well as Ontario. When comparing 2001 data (Table 19) with 1996 statistics, interesting trends can be found. In Brant/Brantford, statistics illustrate that as of 2001, a total of 17.9% of families (6, 055), 40.3% of singles (4,445) and 11.1% of the overall population (13,245) had incomes below $30,000 (poverty line) in Brant/Brantford. In 1996, 12.3% of families, 36.4% of singles, and 14.8% of the overall population had incomes below the poverty line in Brant/Brantford. Consequently, since 1996, although the percentage of the overall population living in poverty has decreased, the number of families and singles in poverty has increased. This illustrates the widening gap between the low-income population and high-income population, and also indicates the need to give particular attention and supports to LICO families and singles. In addition, Table 19 also shows differences between communities. The incidence of low income is particularly significant within the City of Brantford. A total of 20.3% of families, 43.6% of singles and 12.8% of the total population had incomes below the poverty line. By comparison, only 11.9% of families, 24.5% of singles and 6.7% of the total population displayed incomes below the poverty line in Brant County. This high level of low-income coupled with the lack of affordable housing in Brant/Brantford will undoubtedly place a lot of strain on local service providers. The underlying finding, however, is the fact that there is a major need for affordable housing as shown by the high proportion of low-income individuals and families in Brant/Brantford. There has been very limited new purpose built rental accommodations within the City of Brantford since the early 1990s. Such is also true for Brant County, as will be shown later in this report.
LICO are set according to the proportion of annual family income spend on food, shelter, and clothing. A new base year is set from time to time. Base year as of 2001 Census is 1992.
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Table 19: Incidence of Low Income (LICO) -- 2001

Families Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario Total Families 24,320 9,355 33,675 3,190,990 Singles Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario Total Singles 9,105 1,915 11,020 2,101,125 Low Income Singles 3,975 470 4,445 445, 705 % of Low Income Singles 43.6% 24.5% 40.3% 21.2% % of Total Low Income Population 12.8% 6.7% 11.1% Low Income Families 4,940 1,115 6, 055 Not available % of Low Income Families 20.3% 11.9% 17.9% Not available
Municipality City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario
Total Population Total Population in Total Low Income Households Population 86,417 11,070 32,068 2,175 118,485 13,245
11,202,560 1,611,505 14.4% Source: 2001 Census. Population totals differ slightly from total Census population due to persons living in institutions
Recommendation 2: Increase the supply of housing for singles. The high incidence of low-income in the single population indicates that more emphasis needs to be placed on providing smaller affordable units for singles throughout Brant/Brantford. This is particularly true in the City of Brantford where 38.4% of singles had incomes below the poverty line. Currently the most demand is for single accommodation for those under 60 years of age, however changing demographics will demand that the balance between seniors and non-seniors one bedroom accommodation be constantly monitored, and adjusted considering available housing stock.
Household Income Based on Statistics Canada Taxation Data

Table 20 shows income levels for various types of households in Brant/Brantford. Large increases in income are noted for various family types. In Brant, lone parent family incomes increased from $19,900 in 1996 to $24,000 in 2000 for a 20.6% increase. Similarly, lone parent family incomes increased by close to 20% in the City of Brantford and 22.5% in Ontario (Table 21) between 1996 and 2001. During this period, income for dual earner families increased by 14.2% in Brant/Brantford, 13.7% in the City of Brantford, and 13.8% in Ontario. Similarly, single female income increased significantly by 22% in Brant/Brantford and 21.1% in the City. By comparison, single female income grew by only 11.6% in the province. Even though single earner female incomes showed significant increases between 1996 and 2000, incomes of single male earners showed minor growth by comparison. As shown in Table 20 single earner male incomes increased by only 8.6% in Brant County, 7.9% in the City and 5.8% in the province between 1996 and 2001.
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Despite these increases, it can be observed that the median incomes of these groups, especially single female earner households ($18,300) in Brant/Brantford are extremely modest, indicating possible affordability difficulties in relation to housing costs throughout the area.
Table 20: City of Brantford Median Income by Family Type, 1996 2000
1996 1998 2000 % Change 1996 2000
CITY OF BRANTFORD All families (Husband Wife + Lone Parent) Two-parent families Lone-parent families Non-family persons All families (Two-parent + Loneparent) with employment income Non-family persons with employment income Two-parent families Dual-earner Single-earner-male Single-earner-female $ 56,400.00 $ 30,500.00 $14,700.00 $ 60,400.00 $ 33,500.00 $16,600.00 $ 64,400.00 $ 32,900.00 $17,800.00 14.2% 7.9% 21.1% $ 45,600.00 $ 51,300.00 $ 19,900.00 $ 16,800.00 $ 44,400.00 $ 18,200.00 $ 48,500.00 $ 54,600.00 $ 21,200.00 $ 17,600.00 $ 47,700.00 $ 19,400.00 $ 52,100.00 $ 59,000.00 $ 24,000.00 $ 19,300.00 $ 51,200.00 $ 21,200.00 14.3% 15.0% 20.6% 14.9% 15.3% 16.5%
Table 21: Ontario Median Income by Family Type, 1996 2000

1996 ONTARIO All families (Husband Wife + Lone Parent) Two-parent families Lone-parent families Non-family persons All families (Two-parent + Loneparent) with employment income Non-family persons with employment income Two-parent families Dual-earner Single-earner-male Single-earner-female $ 60,900.00 $ 30,900.00 $17,200.00 $ 64,700.00 $ 32,100.00 $18,400.00 $ 69,300.00 $ 32,700.00 $19,200.00 13.8% 5.8% 11.6% $ 48,700.00 $ 53,800.00 $ 22,200.00 $ 18,000.00 $ 46,700.00 $ 20,500.00 $ 51,900.00 $ 57,500.00 $ 24,500.00 $ 19,100.00 $ 50,100.00 $ 22,000.00 $ 55,700.00 $ 61,800.00 $ 27,200.00 $ 20,900.00 $ 54,200.00 $ 23,600.00 14.4% 14.9% 22.5% 16.1% 16.1% 15.1% 1998 2000 % Change 1996 2000
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Recommendation 3: Address immediate housing needs. The affordability analysis illustrates that there is a need to examine more immediate options than simply setting new housing supply targets to address the affordability programs of Brant/Brantfords most vulnerable residents (included are those forced to use emergency and nontraditional housing options). There are currently about 6, 190 households paying in excess of 50% of their income on housing in Brant/Brantford. According to the City of Brantford Housing Department, some applications for social housing are waiting up to five years for one of the 2, 338 rent-geared-to-income rental-housing units. Currently there are just over 1, 300 persons on the waiting list for these units. Further emphasis is required on solutions such as rent supplement programs and additional affordable housing, in order to enable these households to meet affordability requirements.
3: HOUSING SUPPLY ANALYSIS

Overview
This section provides an understanding of the level and nature of housing supply in Brant/Brantford. It also includes an analysis of housing affordability among local residents.
Trends In Housing Supply

The 2001 census data shows the predominance of single detached dwellings in Brant/Brantford. The proportion of different types of housing, however, has remained constant between 1991 and 2001. Net gains in absolute terms are noted for all housing types across Brant/Brantford, except for detached duplex apartments. The number of detached duplex apartments dropped from 1350 in 1991, to 1105 in 2001.
TRENDS IN DWELLING TYPES

Table 22 shows that single-family detached housing comprised 68.4% of the total housing stock of Brant/Brantford in 2001, up from 67.5% in 1991. This represents a net gain of 3,735 units during the ten-year period from 1991 to 2001. Multiple forms of housing such as row houses, apartments, semi-detached and duplexes, comprise less than 30% of the total housing stock. The number of apartments, in fact, increased by only 455 units during the 1991 to 2001 period. 7
City of Brantford Residential Monitoring Update, 2004 City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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Table 22: Occupied Private Dwellings, Brant/Brantford, 1991-2001

Housing Type Single Detached Apartment building, less than five storeys Apartment building, five or more storeys Row House Semi-Detached Apartment, Det.,duplex Other single attached Movable unit Total occ. private dwellings 1991 Total 27,085 3,755 3,320 2,235 2,095 1,350 205 55 40,100 % of total 67.5% 9.4% 8.3% 5.6% 5.2% 3.4% 0.5% 0.1% 100.0% Total 28,655 3,450 3,430 2,525 2,740 1,380 100 0 42,280 1996 % of total 67.8% 8.2% 8.1% 6.0% 6.5% 3.3% 0.2% 0.0% 100.0% Total 30,820 3,805 3,725 2,920 2,585 1,105 80 5 45,045 2001 % of Total 68.4% 8.4% 8.3% 6.5% 5.7% 2.5% 0.2% 0.0% 100.0%
Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (as in Statistics Canada, 2001 Census)
Dwelling Type by Municipality

Table 23 shows the breakdown of housing type by municipality in 2001. The table again shows that single detached dwellings are the major form of housing in Brant/Brantford. Approximately 85% of Brant Countys housing stock is composed of single detached units, and therefore does not have a diverse distribution. Discussions with those in the housing industry indicate that there has not been any new rental housing development in Brant County since the late 1980s. This has placed a lot of strain on local residents at the lower end of the income spectrum and those on fixed incomes in need of affordable housing. The City of Brantford contains a more diverse housing stock. About 16.7% of the housing stock in the City of Brantford is comprised of apartments, 5.7% semi detached, 6.5% row houses, and 2.5% detached duplexes. The proportion of these housing types occupied as rental and ownership housing is shown later in the report (Table 35). Even this diversity of dwelling types however, has not met the increased demand for affordable housing in the area. In Brant County, only a total of 4.6% of its housing stock is comprised of apartment and row house units. Planning staff suggest that most of these units are condominium units and are not suited as affordable rental units. It should be noted that the number of rental units among these housing types is unknown for Brant County. Statistics Canada only produces cross-tabulated data for large metropolitan areas.
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Table 23: Occupied Private Dwellings by Municipality, 2001

Housing Type Single Detached Apartment building, less than five storeys Apartment building, five or more storeys Row House Semi-Detached Apartment, detached duplex Other single attached house Movable unit Total Private Households City of Brantford Total 21,235 3,335 3,620 2,675 1,970 950 55 0 33,840 % of total 62.8% 9.9% 10.7% 7.9% 5.8% 2.8% 0.2% 0.0% 100.0% Brant County Total 9,440 470 100 255 615 150 20 5 11,055 % of total 85.4% 4.3% 0.9% 2.3% 5.6% 1.4% 0.2% 0.05% 100.0% Brant/Brantford Total 30,820 3,805 3,725 2,920 2,585 1,105 80 5 45,045 % of total 68.4% 8.4% 8.3% 6.5% 5.7% 2.5% 0.2% 0.0% 100.0%
Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (as in Statistics Canada, 2001 Census)
Recommendation 4: Encourage more diverse supply of housing in order to provide the range of units needed to meet the level of demand by those in all (particularly the lower) financial brackets. This includes housing such as townhouses, duplexes, and rental apartment units. Despite the growing diversity of demographic needs, and continued decline in household size, over 80% of all housing built in the City of Brantford and Brant County between 2000 and 2004, has been single and semidetached dwellings. The downtown core and Browfield sites present unique opportunities for initiatives in this regard.
Dwellings by Tenure
Figure 7 shows that the rate of owned dwellings in Brant/Brantford has increased since 1986. As the proportion of ownership has increased over time, the proportion of renters has declined. As shown, 68.1% of Brant/Brantford households live in owner occupied dwellings in 1986. By comparison, in 2001, 71.2% of households lived in owner occupied dwellings.
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Figure 7: Trends in Housing Tenure in Brant/Brantford, 1986-2001

80.0% 68.1% Proportion of Households 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 1986 1991 Ow n
Source: Statistics Canada, 1986, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census
68.3%
69.7%
71.2%
31.9%
31.7%
30.3%
28.8%
1996 Rent
2001
Table 24 shows that 71.2% of the households in Brant/Brantford owned their dwellings in 2001. This is well above the provincial average of 67.8% in 2001. This table also shows that the number of owned dwellings increased by 2,595 units between 1996 and 2001, while the number of renter occupied dwelling increased by only 135 units during this time period. This suggests that very little new rental housing was built between 1996 and 2001. In addition, many renters occupy single detached dwellings that are offered for rent by existing owners, as well as other forms of non-traditional rental housing such as flats and life lease dwellings. When real estate markets heat up as they did in the latter part of the decade, some owners of such units may decide to sell the units to owneroccupants or to withdraw accessory apartments from the market. Accordingly, not only has there been very little expansion in the supply of rental housing, but a considerable portion of the rental stock is not in the form of a permanent supply and could be withdrawn from the market at any time.
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Table 24: Dwellings by Tenure, Brant/Brantford and Ontario, 1986-2001

Tenure Own Rent Total Brant/Brantford 1986 # 24,850 11,625 36,475 % 68.1% 31.9% 100.0% Brant/Brantford 1991 # 27,380 12,715 40,095 % 68.3% 31.7% 100.0% Brant/Brantford 1996 # 29,475 12,810 42,285 % 69.7% 30.3% 100.0%
Tenure Own Rent Total
Brant/Brantford 2001
Ontario 2001
#
32,070 12,945 45,015
%
71.2% 28.8% 100.0%
#
2,862,300 1,351,365 4,219,415
%
67.8% 32.2% 100.0%
Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996, 2001 Census
CONDITION OF HOUSING STOCK

Condition of housing stock is an important measure to identify any potential problems with the quality of housing in the area. The following discussion assesses the age, as well as, the condition of the housing stock in Brant/Brantford.
Age of Housing Stock

In 2001 nearly 60% of Brant/Brantfords housing was over 30 years old. This suggests that problems associated with aging of dwellings (such as increasing repair and maintenance costs, increasing energy costs) may be emerging. Brant County has the highest proportion of older dwellings, with 58.3% of the stock more than 30 years old. By comparison, 57.7% of the City of Brantfords housing stock is more than 30 years old. In addition, it is interesting to note from Table 25 that the housing stock is comparatively older than the provincial average, which finds that 49.2% of all dwellings in Ontario were built prior to 1970, compared with 57.7% of Brant/Brantford dwellings. Of particular interest are the more recent figures, which show that only 24.1% of all dwellings in Brant/Brantford have been built since 1981, compared to 31.9% for Ontario as a whole. Aging housing stock can result in maintenance problems and high operating costs due to the lack of energy efficient designs and deterioration of the unit. During times of rapidly increasing energy costs, it is likely that many households with low-incomes, including seniors, face difficulties because they live on fixed incomes, usually in older dwellings with high maintenance. As a result, it is important to pay close attention to identifying such problems and to seek solutions to assist this population living in such conditions. On the positive side, older dwellings often tend to be more affordable than newer homes built at higher cost. This is evident in the wide range of resale homes available across the area at relatively affordable prices. Thus, it is important that this stock be
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maintained, especially to help young families looking for affordable home ownership alternatives.
Table 25: Dwellings by Age and Municipality, 2001
Ontario Year Constructed Before 1946 1946-1960 1961-1970 1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-1995 1996-2001 Total # 703,410 692,700 680,885 795,110 743,770 286,800 316,735 4,219,410 % 16.7% 16.4% 16.1% 18.8% 17.6% 6.8% 7.5% 100.0% City of Brantford # 8,495 6,120 4,895 6,620 4,545 1,955 1,210 33,840 % 25.1% 18.1% 14.5% 19.6% 13.4% 5.8% 3.6% 100.0% Brant County # 3,630 1,405 1,410 1,560 1,265 775 1,015 11,060 % 32.8% 12.7% 12.7% 14.1% 11.4% 7.0% 9.2% 100.0%
] Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census
Recommendation 5: Ensure older housing stock remains viable. Some 27% of the existing housing stock in Brant/Brantford was built prior to 1946, with about 36% of the housing stock considered to be in need of repair, and about 8% needing major repairs. These dwellings play an important role in providing low-cost accommodation for local residents, and measures may need to be considered to address their state of repair. The Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) may be one way for local residents to secure funds to repair their homes and properties.
Condition of Permanent Dwellings

Table 26 summarizes the condition of the housing stock as reported in the 2001 Census. It should be noted that these figures are self-reported from household census returns and are not the result of detailed inspections of units. Table 27 shows that almost 32.4% of the housing stock in Brant/Brantford is in need of repair, with 7.7% requiring major repair. This is quite comparable to the Ontario figure of 32.9%. As noted above, such dwellings do play an important role in providing low-cost accommodation for local residents. Nevertheless, the creation of more up-to-date and efficient units, affordable for persons of modest income, is a more desirable solution to meeting such needs instead of relying heavily on a stock of aging dwellings.
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Table 26: Condition of Dwellings, 2001

Condition of Housing Stock Municipality Regular Maintenance Only # City of Brantford Brant County Brant/Brantford Ontario 23,110 7,275 30,480 2,830,375 % 68.3% 65.8% 67.7% 67.1% # 8,195 2,890 11,125 1,074,740 Minor Repairs % 24.2% 26.1% 24.7% 25.5% # 2,545 890 3,450 314,300 Major Repairs % 7.5% 8.1% 7.7% 7.4%
Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census
NEW HOUSING SUPPLY

City of Brantford
Table 27 shows that the City of Brantford has experienced strong residential development activity in recent years. From 2000-2004 there were a total of 2,053 housing starts in the City of Brantford, or an average of 410.6 housing starts per year. Of these 2,053 starts, 1,612 units, or 78.5, were single detached units. There were very few row rental or apartment rental housing starts in Brantford during this time period. This indicates a large gap in the provision of rental and other forms of affordable housing in the area. Indeed, there were no condominium apartments started either, which can represent another form of affordable housing.
Table 27: Housing Starts, City of Brantford, 2000-2004
2000 Single Family Duplexes, Semi-detached Triplexes Fourplexes Townhouses Apartments Conversions Total 178 0 0 0 34 2 1 215 2001 221 8 0 0 6 18 2 255 2002 396 4 0 0 35 59 5 499 2003 396 6 0 0 66 32 28 528 2004 421 12 0 1 60 26 36 556
Source: City of Brantford, Building Department (December, 2004)
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Table 28 shows that a total of 1066 new occupancy/completion certificates were issued over the last three years (2002, 2003, 2004). The total number of households in the City of Brantford grew from 32,230 in 2000 to 33,845 in 2004. This represents an increase 1,615 new households in the City of Brantford during the five-year period. According to the census, the number of households increased, on average, by 323 per year. Applying these findings to the level of new housing development in the area, it is seen that the demand for new housing outweighs the supply of new development in the City on an annual basis. Part of this gap may represent the occupancy of vacant apartments, as the vacancy rate in the City has decreased steadily over this time period. In terms of unit types, in 2004, 79% of the units completed in the City were single dwelling unit. Most of these homes are out of the reach of those households working at lower wage jobs or on some form of assistance. In addition, there were no purposebuilt rental housing completions in the City of Brantford between 2002 and 2004. This trend is clearly contributing to a lack of availability of various forms of affordable housing for those of low and moderate income.
Table 28: Occupancy/Completion Certificates Issues, City of Brantford, 2002-2004
2002 Single Dwelling Unit Multiple Dwelling Units (Semidetached/townhouse/apartment) Total Source: City of Brantford Building Department, 2004 234 36 270 2003 275 105 380 2004 329 87 416
In addition to housing starts and completions data, the City of Brantford Building Department also provided a summary of building permits issued between 1985 and 2004 for the City. As shown in Table 29, the majority of permits issued, especially after 1992, were for single family and semi-detached dwellings. Since 1993, close to 75% of permits were issued for single family and semi-detached dwellings throughout the City of Brantford. Most importantly, since 1993, only 119 permits were issued for highdensity units in the City of Brantford. 8 Furthermore, the historical analysis indicates that, since 1985, 8,640 building permits were issued in the City of Brantford. Of these permits, some 67% were allocated for single and semi-detached dwellings, 19.1% for medium density dwellings and only 9.2% for high-density dwellings. Discussion with those in the housing industry revealed that a very high demand for affordable purpose built housing exists in Brant/Brantford. On the contrary, however, the new development is mainly in the form of single and semidetached dwellings that are basically out of the reach of the most needy segments of Brant/Brantfords population.
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Table 29: Number of Permits Issued, City of Brantford, 1985 to 2004 Year 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Single Detached 213 349 508 519 369 217 157 285 268 176 101 132 182 178 181 178 221 396 396 421 Semi- Detached 8 8 6 0 12 78 68 54 30 28 6 10 10 0 0 0 6 5 6 12 Medium Density 20 62 109 324 203 159 56 82 64 107 101 18 20 80 51 34 6 35 66 60 High Density 0 23 209 0 141 48 105 150 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 32 28 Conversions 25 12 1 14 80 19 12 12 33 7 24 26 17 4 16 3 20 4 28 35 Total 266 454 833 857 805 521 398 583 395 318 232 186 229 262 248 215 255 499 528 556
Last Five Years: 2000-2004 Total Average % 1,612 322 78.5 31 6 1.5 201 40 9.8 119 24 5.8 90 18 .4.4 2,053 411 100.0
Last Twenty Years: 1985-2004 Total Average % 5,447 272 63.0 349 17 4.0 1,657 83 19.2 795 40 9.2 392 20 4.6 8,640 432 100.0
Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (Compiled from Building Department Data)
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Residential Building Permits 2004

The number of residential dwelling units steadily increased between 2002 and 2004. In 2003, a total of 528 dwelling units were constructed, and in 2004, a total of 556 dwelling units were constructed. A total of 14 residential demolition permits were issued in 2003, therefore, the net gain to the housing stock in that year was 514. Comparatively, 23 residential demolition permits were issued; therefore, the net gain to the housing stock was 533 dwelling units in 2004. The vast majority of dwelling units constructed were single-family units. Figure 9 shows that over 75 % of residential development was single family. The second largest development was townhouses at a significantly lower rate of 11 % (60 units) of new development. Thirty-six new units were created through conversion, constituting 6.5 %, and 5% (26 units) of new residential development apartments. The smallest area was duplexes, semi-detached with 2% (12 units) and four-plexes. The pie-graph is based on rounded percentages; therefore, one four-plex was constructed, but is shown as 0 % in this figure below.
Figure 8: New Residential Units: 2004
Apartments 5% Townhouses 11% Fourplexes 0% Triplexes 0% Duplexes, Semi-Detached 2%
Conversions 6%
Single Family 76%
Source: City of Brantford, Planning Department, 2004
Recent Residential Construction Trends

The number of residential units constructed has increased from 499 in 2002, to 528 in 2003 and 556 in 2004. These trends are illustrated in Figure 9. Between 1987 and 1989, there were significant increases in residential construction that has not been repeated in subsequent years. Within these years, an average of 832 residential building permits were issued. Following these three years, the number of residential building permits declined, with the lowest number of residential permits being issued in 1996 (186 residential building permits). The number of residential permits issued began
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a slow increase after this point, with the highest number of residential building permits issued in 2004 (556). 9
Figure 9: Residential Building Activity 1983-2004
1000
# of New Units
800 600 400 200 0
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
Total Units
Past 5 Year Avg.
Year
20 Year Avg.
Source: City of Brantford, Planning Department, 2004
The majority of building permits issued for residential development are single-detached units. In fact, since 1985 in only one year has a different housing type competed with single-detached in terms of overall numbers. In 1995, 101 single-detached units were issued building permits, compared to 101 units for medium density. In all other cases, low-density housing has been the main type of residential development within the City of Brantford for the past twenty years. Figure 9 summarizes the number of new units built over the past twenty years. In 2004, permits were issued for the construction of 421 single-detached units, compared to 12 semi-detached units. Additionally, residential permits were issued for the construction of 60 medium-density units and 27 high-density units. Lastly, 36 residential units were created through conversion. This is the highest number of conversions since 1989 when permits were issued for the conversion of 80 residential units.
Residential Development in the County of Brant

Residential development in Brant County has seen a significant increase over the past five years. Comparatively, the City of Brantford has also seen an increase. Table 30 summarizes the past five years in relation to dwelling type and the issuance of building permits.
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2003
Table 30: Comparison of New Residential Construction Activity: Brant County and City of Brantford, 2001 to 2005 (Number of New Units)
Dwelling Type City Single Detached Semi-detached/ Duplex Medium Density High Density Conversion 221 8 6 0 20 2001 Brant 149 46 75 8 0 Total 370 54 81 8 20 City 396 5 35 59 4 2002 Brant 184 26 19 0 0 Total 580 31 54 59 4 City 396 6 66 32 28 2003 Brant 203 26 Total 396 6 66 32 28 City 421 12 61 26 36 2004 Brant 272 24 64 1 361 Total 421 12 61 26 36 556
Total 533 728 216 528 Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (Compiled from County of Brant Building Department Data).
The Brant County Building Department provided a summary of building permits issued between 2000 and 2002 for Brant County. As shown in Table 31, the majority of permits were issued for single family and semi-detached dwellings. Of these permits, some 87% were for single and semi-detached dwellings in 2000, 70.1% in 2001 and 91.7% in 2002. Most importantly, between 2000 and 2002, only eight permits were for apartment-type units.
Table 31: Number of Permits Issued, Brant County, 2002 2004
Housing Units Single Family Dwellings Duplexes, Semi-Detached Triplexes Fourplexes Townhouses/Condominium Apartments Conversions Total Units Total Number of Units 2002 184 26 0 0 19 0 0 229 216 361 2003 203 26 2004 272 24 64 1
Source: Brant County Building Department, December, 2004
Discussions with staff from the County indicated that, while servicing capacity constraints create barriers to developing affordable housing in some areas, there is some capacity. For example, some parts of the Paris community can support such development activity on a modest scale, both within new subdivisions and within some existing mature areas such as the downtown. Paris also offers amenities such as shopping and transportation services, which are key factors to the successful provision of affordable housing and are not readily available in many of the other smaller communities within the County.
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Residential Development in the City of Brantford

Table 32 summarizes the total subdivision potential within the City, which are in varying degrees of development, as of December 31, 2004. There were nine applications under consideration in 2004; of which all were dedicated to single dwelling units. There were five draft-approved applications with a mixture of low and medium housing types. Draft approved plans means that the subdivision application has been approved in theory, however there are a number of various conditions that the applicant must complete prior to final approval. Finally, there were eight registered plans in which development is on going. These applications include a variety of low, medium, and high-density housing types.
Table 32: Summary of Residential Subdivision Potential, City of Brantford (As of December 2004)
Subdivision Status Applications under Consideration Draft Approved Plans Registered Plans (active) Total Number of Plans Type & Number of Units Single Family 173 478 673 1324 Medium Density 0 315 420 735 High Density 0 936 0 936 2004 Total 173 1729 1093 2995 2003 Total 196 2753 111 3060
9 5 8 22
Source: City of Brantford, Planning Department 2004
The total identified residential potential in 2004, was 12,517 units this potential includes subdivision applications, as summarized above, as well as general capability lands and zoned lands. These two types of land designations were assigned development potential; however, have various constraints that have not been fully addressed such as environmental and servicing constraints. The overall potential supply was comprised of nearly two-thirds general capability lands, with 7,887 potential units; nearly fifteen percent zoned sites, with 1,635 potential units; and the remaining 24 percent as subdivisions, including registered plans, draft approved plans, and those under consideration, with at total of 2,995 units. The average number of residential units between 1993 and 2004 was 3,241 units per year within Brantford. Using this average, Table 33 depicts the trends of the past twelve years in terms of total residential potential. Between 1994 and 1995 and between 1999 and 2000 there was an increase in the number of units. For every other year, the number of available residential units has decreased. These trends are significant when taken in to context with the increased demand for housing within the City of Brantford. The density distribution of total potential housing supply is disproportionate to the expected future low density housing demand and does not relate well to current residential construction activity.
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Table 33: Total Residential Subdivision Potential, City Of Brantford, 1993 To 2004
Yr. Total # Residential units Annual Change 93 3,696 N/a 94 3,038 -17.8% 95 3,301 8.7% 96 3,161 -4,2% 97 2,870 -9.2% 98 2,473 -13.8% 99 3,743 51.4% 00 3,602 -3.8% 01 3,423 -5.0% 02 3,526 3.0% 03 3,060 -13.3% 04 2,995 -2.1% Average 3,241 -6%
Figure 10: Total Residential Subdivision Potential, 1993 to 2000

5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1, 0 0 0
0 19 9 3 19 9 4 19 9 5 19 9 6 19 9 7 19 9 8 Year 19 9 9 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Total Number of Hous ing Units
Aver age
The Provincial Policy Statement, issued under Section 3 of the Planning Act, requires that municipalities maintain at all times where new development is to occur. Land with servicing capacity sufficient to provide at least a three year supply of residential units available through lands suitably zoned to facilitate residential intensification and redevelopment, and land in draft approved and registered plans.10 The short-term housing supply, as outlined in Table 34, summarizes the potential residential development within registered and draft approved plans of subdivision. Freestanding sites, zoned for low, medium, and high-density housing types are also considered to be a part of the short-term supply. Low-density housing comprises nearly 19 percent of the short-term supply. In comparison, medium density housing comprises 29 percent and high density over 50 percent of the short-term housing supply. These proportions, while offering a variety of housing types, are out of balance with respect to housing demand within the City. At this time, the demand is for low-density housing, particularly single-family dwellings.
10
Provincial Policy Statement http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_8198_1.html
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Table 34: Short-Term Housing Supply in Brantford, December 2004

Type of Housing Low Density Units Medium Density Units High Density Units Registered Plans Draft Approved Plans (active) 173 0 0 478 315 936 Free Standing Zoned Sites 17 718 900 Total 668 1033 1836 % of Total 18.9% 29.2% 51.9%
Total Units 173 1729 1635 3537 100% Source: City of Brantford, Planning Department 2004 - Low Density includes single detached and semi-detached housing. However, in this instance, no semi-detached are included in the registered plans of subdivision
City of Brantford Building Initiatives

Two types of planning-related opportunities may hold particular promise to help meet housing needs in the City of Brantford. Firstly, the City has a number of initiatives underway to try and revitalize the downtown. Considerable support has been identified for incorporating more housing within the downtown, to not only help meet local housing needs, but also to help stabilize the area and add to the market supporting local businesses. The need and opportunity for downtown plans has been heightened greatly in recent years. Approximately 3,000 new workers were recently introduced into the downtown through the NCO Financial Services call centre, Charity Casino, and the expanding student enrolment rates at Laurier Brantford. Furthermore, construction has just been completed the Market Square creating new office facilities, for approximately 220 City of Brantford staff. The City of Brantford has also introduced some municipally funded initiatives to help encourage such activity in the downtown. Most recently the City has worked with organizations such as Brantford Laurier in the construction of a new residential housing units, located in the downtown. The City of Brantford is also actively engaged in the redevelopment of its Brownfield sites. In Brantford a significant concentration of Brownfield sites is in the vicinity of Greenwich and Mohawk Streets. The proposed Greenwich-Mohawk Brownfield sites Remediation study will deal with three of these properties: 347 Greenwich Street (28.3 acres), 22 Mohawk Street (7.5 acres), and 66 Mohawk St. (5.9 acres). A Brownfield Committee has been formed to advise Council on its co-ordinated Brownfield investigations and redevelopment efforts. As part of this activity, the City of Brantford has undertaken a number of initiatives in the Greeenwich-Mohawk Brownfield area including: a remediation study addressing environmental site conditions and the structural condition of existing buildings, development of land use options and a remediation strategy following an extensive public consultation program, and developing an implementation strategy for remediation. The City of Brantford has also created Developer Incentives in relation to the Brownfield sites. Several new incentive options were implemented, such as the reduction of
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development charges payable equal to remediation costs. When proclaimed in the Municipal Act, Brantford intends to reduce or cancel property taxes in Brownfield remediation and redevelopment projects, and also consider create programs such as temporarily reducing or waiving increased taxes incurred from rising property values on redeveloped sites. The City has also indicated that they welcome and promote the opportunity to work in partnership with private sector interests to redevelop Brownfield sites throughout the city.11 In both the case of municipally funded initiatives (Brantford Laurier), and the Provincially and Federally funded Brownfield sites, coordinated planning could ensure that a portion of the new housing being planned for these areas is devoted to various forms of affordable housing to help meet the needs facing the City. Recommendation 6: Consider incentives to encourage the construction of rental housing. Given the high cost currently associated with the construction of new dwelling, the housing needs of low and modest income earners cannot be met without some form of support. Currently, many developers elect to construct single and semi-detached dwelling, due to heavy demand for this type of housing in Brant/Brantford. Research found that the vast majority of new construction in Brant/Brantford is in the form of single detached and semi-detached units, which is out of reach for those at the lower end of the income spectrum. There is a great need to ensure that additional incentives and policies are in place to encourage local builders, developers and construction trades to participate in the development of permanent affordable housing.
Summary of New Development in Brant/Brantford

One of the major concerns echoed by others was the lack of available and newly constructed affordable housing throughout Brant/Brantford. Analysis of past and present development activity in the area finds that this issue is far from being solved. As previously highlighted, the vast majority of recent development activity is in the form of low density, single and semi-detached dwellings. Table 32 indicated that close to 80% of recent permits issued in the City of Brantford were for low density, single and semi-detached housing. Similarly, close to 85% of permits issued between 2000 and 2004 were for single and semi-detached dwellings in Brant County. Interestingly, draft approved plans and vacant land potential show considerable capacity for future medium and high-density development throughout the City of Brantford. Discussions with local builders and developers indicated that, for a variety of reasons, the return on investment associated with rental housing is well below that for single and semi-detached dwellings, thereby discouraging rental development activity. It was suggested that a greater emphasis on rental and other forms of affordable housing within the inner city would be highly suitable in terms of supporting principles as outlined in the Provincial Places to Grow Legislation and the Provincial Policy
11
City of Brantford Planning Department, Development Charges Information Pamphlet City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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Statement, such as potential cost savings on transportation and other infrastructure and that the City should place strong priority on such policies.
AVAILABILITY OF RENTAL HOUSING

Private Rental Housing
Table 35 shows that 28.7% and 33.2% of the housing supply in County and the City, respectively, was comprised of rental housing units in 2001. It is particularly interesting to note that 27.8% of this supply in Brant/Brantford and 23% of this supply in the City of Brantford were in the form of single detached and semi-detached units being rented out by their owners. This represents an unstable supply, as individual owners can decide to withdraw such units from the rental market at any time for personal reasons. This appears to have contributed to the decline in occupied rental dwellings reported in the 2001 census. By comparison, the census reported that in 1996, single detached and semi-detached houses comprised only 19.4% of the provinces overall rental stock. This represents a much lower proportion in comparison to Brant/Brantford and Brantford. Approximately 50% of the rental units in Brant/Brantford and 60% of the rental units in Brantford are in the form of apartment units. This table further emphasizes the need for a significant increase in the supply of permanent rental dwellings, such as townhouses, duplexes and apartments. As shown in Table 36, the most recent rental vacancy rate survey conducted by CMHC in 2004 reported a vacancy rate of 1.6% in Brantford. This is a significant decrease from the 3.1% rate found in 2003. Generally, despite minor year-to-year fluctuations, vacancy rates have been decreasing since 1998. Given that the City of Brantford represents by far the largest share of rental housing within Brant/Brantford, these figures indicate that securing adequate, affordable rental housing has become far more difficult in recent years. These figures are consistent with the information received from many agency staff that pointed out the increasing difficulty in finding adequate, affordable rental housing in Brant/Brantford. As seen in Figure 11, the average rents for a one-bedroom unit increased by 0.6 percent between 2003 and 2004. The average rents for a two-bedroom increased 1.3 percent and increased by 1.5 percent for a three-bedroom unit. Overall, the average rental price increase for Brantford was 1.1 percent. This is in-line with the provincial average of 1.2 percent, and is also below the annual inflation rate of 2.3 percent. However, any increase to the rental housing market has implications in relation to affordable housing. The following section will discuss the trends with regard to non-profit housing within the City of Brantford.
Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2001 Basic Summary Tabulation
Table 35: Occupied Private Dwellings by Tenure & Type, Brant/Brantford, City of Brantford & Ontario (2001)
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Owned # 28,230 1,775 985 305 295 450 25 32,065 % 88.0 5.5 3.1 1.0 0.9 1.4 0.1 71.2% #
Rented % 20.8 7.0 14.2 6.1 26.3 25.3 0.3 28.7% Brant/Brantford
Band housing # 40 40 %
12
Total Tenure # 30,960 2,685 2,825 1,100 3,700 3,725 65 45,060 % 68.7 6.0 6.3 2.4 8.2 8.3 0.1 100.0%
Single-detached house Semi-detached house Row house Apartment, detached duplex Apartment, more than five storeys Apartment, less than five storeys Other single-attached house Total Dwellings in Brant/Brantford Single-detached house Semi-detached house Row house Apartment, detached duplex Apartment, five or more storeys Apartment, less than five storeys Other single-attached house Total Dwellings in the City of Brantford Single-detached house Semi-detached house Row house Apartment, detached duplex Apartment, building that has five or more storeys Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys Other single-attached house Movable dwelling Total Dwellings in Ontario
2,690 910 1,840 795 3,400 3,270 35 12,940
100.0 0.1%
City of Brantford 19,610 1,285 785 250 295 375 20 22,620 86.7 5.7 3.5 1.1 1.3 1.7 0.1 66.8% 1,795 785 1,790 680 3,295 2,850 30 11,225 Ontario 2,250,540 202,285 178,895 29,565 134,440 52,015 4,205 10,350 2,862,300 78.6 7.1 6.3 1.0 4.7 1.8 0.1 0.4 67.8% 200,905 61,525 128,665 58,850 543,360 348,200 8,020 1,840 1,351,365 14.9 4.6 9.5 4.4 40.2 25.8 0.6 0.1 32.0% 5,485 65 110 15 20 10 55 5,760 95.4 1.1 1.9 0.3 0.3 0.2 1.0 0.01% 2,456,925 263,875 307,670 88,430 677,800 400,235 12,230 12,245 4,219,415 58.2 6.3 7.3 2.1 16.1 9.5 0.3 0.3 100.0% 16.0 7.0 15.9 6.1 29.4 25.4 0.3 33.2% 21,410 2,070 2,575 935 3,590 3,225 50 33,855 63.2 6.1 7.6 2.8 10.6 9.5 0.1 100.0%
Table 36: Rental Housing Vacancy Rates, City of Brantford, 1999-2005 Apartment Units 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 1999 2.9 1.6 2000 2.2 3.3 2001 2.0 1.8 2002 1.2 2.8 2003 2.1 3.9 2004 1.4 2.0 2005 1.2 2.2
12
For historical and statutory reasons, shelter occupancy on reserves does not lend itself to the usual classification by standard tenure categories. Therefore, a special category, Band housing, has been created for census purposes. www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/regions/definitions_an.htm
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3 Bedroom (+)
4.1
2.4
0.4
1.2
3.1
1.4
1.4
Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (as in CMHC, Rental Housing Market Report, 1999-2005)
Figure 11: Average Apartment and Townhouse Rents: 2000 to 2004
$900 $900 $800 $800 $700 $700 $600 $600 $500 $500 $400 $400 $300 $300 $200 $200 $100 $100 $0 $0
Average Rents Average Rents
1 Bedroom Apartment 1 Bedroom Apartment
Put in years on bottom of bars 00 01 02 03 04
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Recommendation 7: Increase supply of rental housing. There is an increasing difficultly in finding adequate, affordable rental housing in Brant/Brantford, as demonstrated by the most recent rental CMHC vacancy rate survey for the City of Brantford, where vacancy rates feel from 3.1% in 2003, to 1.8% in 2005. Statistics indicate a significant percentage of the population is paying an excess of 35-40% of their income on shelter costs; leaving this population vulnerable for homelessness. The need to increase the supply of a range of rental dwellings, such as townhouses, duplexes, and apartments has been identified. At least 127 new rental-housing units per year need to be developed to meet the housing needs of households earning less than $20, 000 annually. Since 2004 the City of Brantford, in cooperation with senior levels of government began to provide incentives that have lead to the creation of new affordable rental housing units (ready in 2006). These programs need to continue in order to secure continued development.
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HOUSING FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

Rooming and Lodging Houses
Rooming houses provide an essential form of housing for lower income residents. Rooming houses are often considered low-end housing, and as a result, one of the least costly forms of permanent accommodation (for the resident as they are often subsidized). Discussions with hostel providers indicated that this type of accommodation houses a small segment of Brant/Brantfords population; primarily single men with lower incomes. The Citys Clerks department has a record of 18 licensed lodging/board/rooming homes operating legally within the City of Brantford as of August 2005. It should be noted that not all rooming houses fall within the privity of licensing as some rooming houses have 3 or less tenants and therefore can operate without a license. The City has a generic definition for a lodging/rooming or boarding house and these terms are not differentiated by definition or by way of a by-law in the City of Brantford. It is important follow-up piece of research to this study would be to investigate in more depth the role rooming houses are playing in meeting low income housing needs in the City and how to ensure they are operated in a safe and healthy manner.
Assisted Housing
Table 37 shows the current supply of rent-geared-to-income (assisted housing) in Brant/Brantford. It shows that there are 2,338 public, non-profit, co-operative and rent supplement-housing units in the area. This represents about 18% of the total rental stock in Brant/Brantford. These assisted units, however, are primarily concentrated in the City of Brantford. This results in major gaps in affordable and assisted rental housing in Brant County. As noted earlier, those with housing affordability issues in Brant County or neighbouring Reserves often migrate into the City seeking such accommodation and services. This increases the pressure on the limited supply of assisted units in the City. Some of these assisted units serve individuals with special needs. For example, the 44 Participation House units are for persons with physical and mobility disabilities, the 38 CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) housing units are for those with severe mental illness, and the 131 Brantwood and ACL (Association for Community Living) units are for persons with developmental delays. Discussions with agency staff indicated that the majority of these special needs housing units are at capacity and the waiting lists are in the vicinity of three or four years. Table 38 shows the waiting list for the various types of assisted housing units in Brant/Brantford as reported by the City of Brantford Housing Department, as of August 2005. As shown, there were a total of 1,381 applicants for assisted housing units as of that date.
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Table 37: Assisted Housing Supply, Brant/Brantford, As of August 2005

Brant Native Housing (BNH) Canadian Participation Mental Health House Association (CMHA) Non-Profit Social Housing Local Housing Brantwood and Corporation Association for (LHC) Community and MNP Living (ACL) 96 5 36 208 56 561 49 2 7 131
Size/Type of Unit
Total
Bachelor 1 Bed 1 Bed Senior 1 Bed Modified Total 1 bed 2 Bed 2 Bed Senior 2 Bed Modified Total 2 bed 3 Bed 3 Bed Modified Total 3 bed 4 Bed 5 Bed Total 4 and 5 Bed Total Units % of stock 105 4.5% 54 1.9% 38 1.6% 992 42.4% 3 17 59 411 22 5 11 38 2 321
96 436 561 48 1,141
35 9 53
396 9 69 474
144
614 22 636
54 13
74 13 87
1,028 44.0%
131 5.6%
2,338 100.0%
Source: City of Brantford Social Services Housing Department BNH housing data provided by Brant Native Housing, 2005
Table 38: Social Housing Waiting List, Brant/Brantford, as of August 2005

Size/Type of Unit Bachelor 1 Bed 1 Bed Senior 1 Bed Modified 2 Bed 2 Bed Senior 2 Bed Modified 3 Bed 3 Bed Modified 4 Bed 5 Bed Total 85 18 3 44 231 6 34 3 1,189 89 275 6 37 3 1,381 32 18 336 16 6 413 150 89 508 150 18 368 16 Brant Native Housing (BNH) Participation House Brantwood and Local Housing Association for Corporation Community (LHC) Living (ACL) Total
Source: City of Brantford Housing Department BNH housing data provided by Brant Native Housing, 2005
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Approximately 40% of the applicants on the waiting list for geared-to-income housing are single or childless couple households (non-senior), primarily requiring a onebedroom unit. There are a total of 508 non-senior one-bedroom units in the assisted housing stock in Brant/Brantford area; given current turnover and vacancy rates, the average person would spend over five years on a waiting list in order for a suitable unit to become available. Those waiting for two or more bedroom units are most likely family households (husband/wife or single parent families with children). The average time on the waiting list is approximately two to three years for the 700 family households currently on this waiting list. Approximately 51% of the assisted housing stock is comprised of two or more bedrooms. Of these, there are a total of 474 two bedroom, 636 three bedroom, 74 four bedroom and 13 five bedroom assisted housing units throughout Brant/Brantford. As noted earlier, waiting lists can be as long as three years. Therefore, family households face severe difficulty securing adequate affordable housing, given the lack of new supply being created. It is anticipated that 119 new units opening in 2006 will have a positive impact on wait times. While the waiting list is one indicator of the need for social housing, it does not demonstrate the full need. There may be many individuals who do not know where to apply, have literacy problems, or do not realize that they may be eligible for rent-gearedto-income assistance. The earlier tables showing the high incidence of low income across Brant/Brantford show that the need is likely well beyond that identified by the waiting list.
Special Needs Housing

Special needs housing is the integration of housing and support services for individuals who require specific services to maintain their housing and well-being. The information on special needs housing was obtained from interviews with various service providers throughout Brant/Brantford.
Housing for Persons with Developmental Delays

The primary source for funding housing and support services for persons with developmental delays is the Ministry of Community and Social Services (MCSS). Brantwood Residential Development Services and Community Living Brant (CLB) are the main agencies overseeing the needs for individuals living with development delays. Discussions with agency staff indicated that there are a few supportive housing developments for persons with developmental delays in the City of Brantford. There are only a limited number of units outside the City, due to a lack of support services and the lack of well-developed transportation networks. The CLB supports approximately 100 persons with developmental delays. Support is provided for those living on their own or those who require staffing support on a periodic basis. For those with heightened needs, staffing support is provided for on a two to three hours a day basis.
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CLB also receives funding from MCSS and a variety of sources and owns and operates several residential houses serving this population. Most of these group homes have 4 beds. In addition, a newer facility has 6 beds. This facility provides assistance to three people with higher needs and three people with lower needs. In addition, the Brant Foundation for Persons with Developmental Needs owns 4 houses, which are leased back to the CBL. There are also a couple of other private operators providing housing for those with developmental and physical challenges in the City of Brantford. CBL deals with a few private landlords throughout the area where they place persons with developmental delays on a rent supplement basis. They indicated however, that the demand for affordable housing exceeds supply. Agency staff raised concern for persons with developmental delays that are currently living with aging parents. This type of living situation will eventually result in a strong demand for accommodation and support services, once the primary caregiver is no longer able to provide for their adult children. Discussion with local administrators suggest that the need for subsidized and integrated housing for developmentally challenged individuals has increased over the years and is expected to continue to grow. As a result, the need to stimulate the development of this form of affordable housing in Brant/Brantford is quite evident.
Housing for Persons with Mental Illness

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the primary agency in Brant/Brantford serving individuals with mental illness. Services provided by CMHA include assistance in the areas of housing, life skills, medications and any aspect of improving the persons quality of life. The recently developed 40-unit apartment complex at 175 Dalhousie Street, known as Phoenix Place, provides the major source of housing for persons with mental illness. There are two 2-bedroom apartments and 28 single bedroom apartments for persons with serious mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. In addition to affordable housing, this building offers supportive housing workers on-site for up to 12 hours per day. These on-site support workers assist residents with activities of daily living, promotion of community integration and social/recreational activities13. Aside from Phoenix Place, CMHA operates an additional property with a total of 8 rentgeared-to-income units, where the Ministry of Health has allocated 7 rent supplement units for persons with mental illnesses. These are in situ because the Ministry has not allocated additional support dollars. It is expected that these units will become occupied very quickly. Discussions with staff suggest that maintaining and renovating these older buildings is costly.
13
Supportive Housing , http://www.cmhabrant.on.ca/supportivehousing.htm City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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While CMHA receives funding for rent supplements, funding for support services has been constrained for some time. One of the major issues facing CMHA is convincing private landlords to rent to persons with mental illness. Discussions with CMHA indicate that the number of individuals requiring accommodation of this nature has grown steadily across the area and is expected to continue to grow over time. It was noted that persons with mental illness in their late 40s and 50s living at home with aging parents would face major housing issues in the near future. The major concern is providing housing and support for these individuals once the parents pass away, or move into retirement homes. The Housing Resource Centre, which helps homeless persons, obtain emergency and temporary housing reported in 2004 that 35% of their clients identified as having some kind of mental health concern.
Housing for Persons with Physical Disability/Mobility Impairment

Participation House is a not-for-profit social support agency that provides housing and assistance to adults (16 65 years of age) with physical disabilities residing in Brant/Brantford. Participation House provides a continuum of support services such as supportive housing in residential settings, supportive housing in private apartments and attendant outreach services for persons residing in their own homes. Participation House provides housing for physically disabled persons in two buildings: #10 Bell Lane and # 11 West Street. These buildings provide a total of 44 beds to physically disabled persons in the City of Brantford. The facility at 10 Bell Lane provides housing in a residential setting for 27 adults with varied physical disabilities. In addition, staff is available on-site, 24 hours a day. The staff assists clients with: life skills, occupational therapy, communication, volunteer and vocational opportunities, recreational and sports outings. The apartments at 11 West St. provide private one-bedroom accommodation for 17 individuals on a rent-geared-to-income basis, as well as various forms of support. All tenants live independently, with the support of on-site, 24 hour a day staff. As of January 2003, Participation House completed an agreement to have 10 rent supplement units for persons with physical disabilities in the new Phoenix Place facility. In addition to supportive housing, Participation House is the only organization in the area that provides attendant services for persons with physical disabilities. The attendant outreach care program is aimed at persons 16 years and older with physical disabilities living in Brant/Brantford. Various types of assistance are provided to persons in their homes and places of employment and/or school. While Participation House provides various housing and support services, their staff have identified that there still is a need for more affordable housing and support services. A problem for particular attention is the poor state of current housing units. As a result, funding that would otherwise be put into new housing units, must now be used to refurbished older units.
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Currently, there is a 12-person waiting list at 11 West Street and a 4-person waiting list at Bell Lane. Participation House has entered into an agreement with the Multani project for five accessible units, and 2 of the units in the Paris project being developed by G.K York will be accessible. These six units should be ready for occupancy in 2006. Participation House staff have expressed concerns about increasing demand in the future due to the number of youth with physical disabilities in the area. As these youth begin to age, their need for independent accommodation will increase.
Respite Care
There are seven short stay beds in Long Term Care (LTC) Homes: one at St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre, two at John Noble Home, two at Leisureworld Caregiving Centre, one at Hardy Terrace and one at Iroquois Lodge. In addition, John Noble Home Day & Stay Program offers overnight respite for clients with dementia, once a week. Retirement Homes, as well, depending on bed availability will provide respite. LTC is accessed through the Community Care Access Centre but retirement homes can be accessed directly by client/caregiver. Stakeholders report that LTC beds are underutilized for respite.
Summary of Special Needs Housing

The above discussion has highlighted the need for a range of special needs housing in Brant/Brantford. In particular, there is an immediate need for special needs housing for persons with physical disabilities and mobility impairment. One of the main concerns is the number of persons on waiting lists for special needs housing. A growing concern is the future need for persons requiring assisted living once parents pass away or become too frail and aged to care for persons with physical disabilities. This issue is pertinent to all groups faced with the dilemma of aging parents who are still the primary caregivers for their offspring. The need for affordable housing (and supports) will be extremely prominent once the parent is too old and unable to provide the needed support. It was suggested that placing these individuals on waiting lists for RGI units would prove futile due to the long wait lists associated with these units. According to community agencies, Phoenix Place has alleviated only a small fraction of the housing needs for persons with mental illness. It was suggested that, in fact, developing Phoenix Place has exposed the need, as the supply has been so limited in the past that many individuals in need did not come forward until Phoenix Place began operations. Community agencies emphasize that, in addition to the creation of such safe affordable special needs housing units, funding and support is needed to maintain these units and assist those who require special needs over time. Recommendation 8: Increase the supply of affordable special needs housing and a complementary support service for a number of special needs groups such as: persons with 3.5.10 Emergency and Temporary Housing mental illness, persons with developmental delays, persons with physical There are four emergency shelters in Brant/Brantford. The a Salvation Army Booth disability/mobility impairment and respite care. While range of housing is Centre, the Youth Resource Centre (YRC), Nova Vita Womens Shelter, and Rosewood currently being provided in this area, in some cases it is unaffordable, or often does not suit the specific needs of the clientele.
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provide emergency shelter services for various clients throughout the area. These services are discussed below.
Emergency/Temporary Shelter Program

The Salvation Army Booth Centre is funded through the Salvation Army and the City of Brantford, and delivers emergency housing and support services for single men. The shelter provides a total of 32 beds in private room settings and two multi-bed dorms. In the past, clients were only allowed to stay in the shelter for seven days; however, due to changes in funding from Ontario Works, the length of stay has been increased to 42 days. This provides clients a transition period that gives clients an opportunity to work with a case manager to look for affordable, sustainable and appropriate housing. Discussion with the Centres staff reveals that the main factor creating demand for shelter space at the Centre is an inadequate supply of affordable housing. An insufficient supply of affordable housing, coupled with clients low levels of income, makes the search for adequate accommodation discouraging for these individuals. It was pointed out that the need for shelter increases tremendously during the colder winter months, resulting in the need for increased beds in the Booth Centre, particularly at that time of year. It was suggested that at least 20 more beds are needed to service this level of demand. This indicates a major need to increase emergency shelter for single men in Brant/Brantford. Staff report that occupancy rates at the Booth Centre have increased from 87% in 2001 to 107% in 2005 (to August). It is anticipated that these rates will continue to increase, primarily due to the shortage of affordable housing in the area. Therefore, there is a major need for emergency as well as long term housing solutions for single men in this community. In addition to emergency shelter services, the Booth Centre provides a variety of programs to assist its clients achieve a better standard of living once they leave the shelter. Operating with a limited budget, there are numerous difficulties in sustaining such programs and reaching these individuals. Thus, there is a major need for outreach services to help reduce and alleviate the cycle of homelessness in Brant/Brantford, especially within the City. Follow up case management and support services such as medical, psychiatric, emotional, life skills and social skills that are crucial to breaking the cycle of homelessness over the long term are also provided by the Booth Centre. The lack of funding for such programs is a major drawback to helping shelter users become more self-sufficient and sustain a dwelling. It was noted that the City has limited resources and lacks funds to maintain such programs and associated resources. The Salvation Army Booth Centre is attempting to develop operational funding to provide outreach support and services to its users over the long term.
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It was pointed out that emergency housing shelters are not equipped to assist persons with serious mental illnesses. Shelter staff revealed that there are times when these clients do not mix well with the other occupants of the shelters. It was also indicated that if the person is not admitted to hospital, and not wanted back at the shelter, there are no other options for a person who may be in great distress and in need of treatment and support. As a result, other emergency housing options for persons with serious mental illness are needed. Those who cannot be accommodated at the emergency shelter are usually placed in motel rooms on a temporary basis. This type of accommodation is very short term and very limited. Often, motels are fully occupied, and thus, clients have to be sent out of town for shelter. This shows that there is a significant need to increase the number of shelter beds throughout Brant/Brantford. In particular, the community has indicated that there is an immediate need for a family shelter, as well as a shelter for single men. This also shows the need for more affordable housing for single men. Rosewood House provides co-ed temporary emergency shelter for persons with mental illness. This facility has been operating since 2001. The facility contains a total of 11 beds, and clients are provided with a maximum of three months of shelter at the cost of $38 a night. In addition to shelter, Rosewood House also provides its clients with onsite counseling and assistance in finding permanent accommodation. Most of the clients are referred to Phoenix Place. During 2002, Rosewood House served a total of 167 clients. Rosewood staff indicated that the shelter has operated at full capacity since mid-January (2003). At any given time, there are 20 persons on the waiting list for Rosewood house. Staff indicated that persons could remain on a waiting list for as little as one day or a maximum of three months. Additionally, it was suggested that the mental health consumer displays a high propensity for relocating and needed more immediate help and as a result are generally housed elsewhere while waiting.
Victims of Abuse and Homeless Women and Children

Nova Vita Womens Shelter offers services and emergency accommodation to abused women and their children, and homeless women their children and seniors. Nova Vita is funded by a variety of sources including: Ministry of Community and Social Services, Brant United Way, City of Brantford, Mens Program User Fees, and Fundraising. Additionally, CHMC funded Nova Vita for capital expenses and in the 2005/2006 fiscal year the Ministry of the Attorney General will also provide funding. In August 2003, at the request of the City of Brantford, Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services agreed to offer emergency residential services (10 beds) and supportive counselling, assessment and referral to homeless women and children, who were 16 years of age and over. Nova Vita served approximately 24 senior women in 2005. Nova Vita sustains 30 emergency beds for women and children in Brant/Brantford; 10 beds are allocated to homeless women and children with the remaining 20 allocated to abused women and children. In 2004/05 the average occupancy rate was 107%. Nova Vita staff noted that the occupancy rate is usually about 80%. In the 2004/2005-year, 275 applicants were denied access to the shelter due to lack of emergency
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accommodation, of these 176 were homeless women. When no space is available at the shelter, the Centre aids the women to find other forms of temporary shelter such as friends, other relatives or another shelter in other communities. Finding shelters in other communities can often be problematic due to commuting to work and school. While the number of women and children in the shelter has remained relatively constant over the years, there has been a significant rise over the last year. Table 39 indicates that a total of 6,701 shelter bed days were needed in 1999/00. Five years later, a total of 10,950 shelter bed days were required, an increase of 63.4%.
Table 39: Nova Vita, Womens Services Statistics, 1999-2005
1999/00 Number of Women in Shelter Residence Number of Children in Shelter Residence Total Number of Shelter Residents Number of Shelter Bed Days Average Length of Stay in Shelter Average Occupancy Rate Number of Women in Community Counseling Source: Nova Vita, July 2005 184 194 378 6,701 21 days 103% 541 2000/01 146 154 300 7,555 25 days 115% 423 2001/02 147 156 303 7,346 26 days 112% 425 2002/03 136 122 258 7,642 28 days 127% 396 2003/04 146 136 282 9,070 32 days 95% 51 2004/05 246 178 424 10,950 40 days 107 % n/a
Also outlined in Table 39, the length of stay has also increased over the years. The Centre allows a maximum of 45 days per client; however, they do make exceptions in high-risk cases. When the Centre first opened the average length of stay was about 7 days. Presently, however, the length of stay has increased to 40 days; these numbers have steadily increased over the years, demonstrating the need for appropriate and affordable permanent housing in the community. There have also been dramatic increases in average occupancy rates for Nova Vita. Table 39 illustrates, occupancy rates have exceeded more than 100%, with the exception of the 2003/04 year, which had an occupancy rate of 95%. One of the main reasons behind the rising occupancy rate is the lack of affordable housing for women and their children to move to, forcing them to remain in the shelter for longer periods. This high level of demand for affordable, secure and safe housing has placed a lot of strain on local service providers. Over the past few years, the need for transition housing for women was indicated. On May 6, 2005 Nova Vita opened the Maria House, a new transitional residence, which is located directly adjacent to the main building at 59 North Park Street. Until December 31, 2005, this house will accommodate up to 8 abused women and children who need extra assistance, and beginning January 1, 2006, these 8 beds will also be available to homeless women and children. It is hoped
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that this new housing will alleviate some of the pressure for womens shelter services in Brant/Brantford. Despite this progress, there continues to be a need for emergency housing and accommodation for women and their children who are not being abused, but are simply experiencing difficulty finding affordable housing.
Housing for Youth

Since February 2001, the Youth Resource Centre (YRC) has provided a significant support system in terms of co-ed housing alternatives and services to homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness. The YRC provides a variety of services and support systems for youth aged 15 to 19 residentially and 14-19 non-residentially. The nonresidential component is aimed at education and employment skills training for youth on various aspects of drug and alcohol abuse, budgetary assistance (helping youth understand monetary budgeting and helping them access and maintain housing), cognitive behaviour and problem solving, and educational and skill enhancement training. The non-residential components play an active role in assisting youth to find and maintain housing. The second aspect of the YRC is the on-site residential component aimed at at-risk and homeless youth. By means of 16 co-ed beds and 4 staff, the residential component provides temporary shelter for homeless and at-risk youth for up to three months. The need and demand for this emergency shelter was realized instantaneously upon its establishment in early 2001. According to the YRC program manager, within a few days of the Centres inauguration, 100% of the beds were occupied. In addition, there has been a continuing demand for affordable youth housing, especially in the City of Brantford. Statistics indicate that occupancy rates have grown from 85% at the outset, peaking at 100% since early 2001. According to the most recent reports, between March 1 and August 31 (2002), some 128 youth used YRCs residential services. Figure 11 shows that 60% of these clients were 16 and 17 years of age14. The average length of stay during this period was approximately 21 days. Approximately 39% of these clients used the Centre for less than a week, 38% for 8 to 30 days and 23% between one and three months. Of these 128 clients, 59 (46%) used the YRC due to parental conflict, 16 (12.5%) were homeless and living on the streets, or couch surfing, and 7 (5.5%) came due to the loss of an apartment. One of the main objectives of the YRC is to promote reconciliation with the family. If this is not possible, the YRC aids the youth in accessing affordable housing. However, it was noted that it has become increasingly difficult for youth on fixed incomes to find and maintain affordable housing. The lack of affordable housing creates a number of issues for homeless youth in the area. Since the landlords are in a particularly good position to choose their tenants, they often select low-risk, rather than high-risk clients.
14
The statistical data for this section was based on the 2002/2003 Semi-Annual report for the Youth Resource Centre: YRC Client Statistics Schedule B Outcomes report. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
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Consequently, there is a strong need for more permanent affordable accommodation for youth, especially those aged 16-18. Youth in this age group are especially vulnerable because they are too old for the Childrens Aid Society and many motel owners and landlords are not willing to house them because it is difficult to claim or collect for any damages that the youth may make to their properties. It was pointed out that homeless youth need a home, not a shelter, and support from live-in staff to help them with life skills, mentorship and modeling. It was noted that a large number of clients return to the Centre after discharge, mainly because of the lack of support and monitoring, especially in terms of money management once they leave the shelter.
Victim Services of Brant

Victim Services of Brant is a not-for-profit agency that assists police, fire and other emergency services to provide emotional and practical assistance to victims of crime, tragic circumstances and disaster. This organization makes referrals to various emergency shelters such as Nova Vita, The Salvation Army Booth Centre, Rosewood, and the Youth Resource Centre in order to provide temporary shelter to clients. While these shelters have beds for emergency use, they are usually operating at capacity and cannot offer shelter for emergency relief to victim services clients. Thus, the major source of emergency shelter for Victim Services is in the form of motel rooms. This agency typically provides short-term emergency accommodation (usually for one night) in motels throughout Brant/Brantford. The total number of accommodation-related crises handled by Victims Services has increased dramatically since 1997, as shown in Figure 12. Although 1999/2000 experienced a slight decline in accommodation occurrences, this drop was only minimal, and rates continue to climb in consequent years.
Figure 12: Accommodation Related Crises in Brant/Brantford, 1997- 2005
Emergency Accommodation 1997 -1998 1998 -1999 1999 -2000 2000 -2001 2001 -2002 2002 -2003 2003 -2004 20004 -2005 Source: Victim Services of Brant, Year-End Reports, 2005 Total 61 111 87 106 145 194 206 230
Victims Services staff indicate that requests for accommodation are evenly divided between single males and single females. The number of families requesting accommodation is minimal, approximately one family per month. The lack of affordable housing in the area has placed a substantial strain on Victim Services of Brant in terms of providing housing for its victimized clients. Their staff report that the development of permanent affordable housing is one of the only solutions to this increasing need.
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Street Outreach Program

Funded by the Provincial Homelessness Initiatives Fund (PHIF), the Street Outreach Programs goal is to provide emergency shelter and services to homeless people. This program is mainly intended for those living on the streets or without other resources. Once approved, clients are placed in shelters or motels over short periods (about 5 days on average) of time, until they find suitable and affordable shelter. In additional to providing emergency housing, transportation, referrals, and case management, the Outreach Program also provides food and other basic needs for clients on a short-term basis. As outlined in the Housing Resource Centres Outreach Program Jan-Sept 2004 Report, in comparison to previous years, the number of individuals served has more than doubled in the past two years; this is mainly due to the fact that the outreach program is becoming more visible within the community. The number of clients consistently increased each year. In the first quarter in 2002 the average number of individuals served per month was 43 and in 2004 this had increased to 100. In addition to this increase the program is experiencing more complex cases requiring more case management. Staff indicate that this demand will continue to increase until more affordable housing is provided. The profile of the most common Outreach client has also remained the single male, aged 20-39, out of money, with no source of income at the time of homelessness. In 2004 (Jan-Sept), 41% of the Outreach programs cliental were males, and 71% of clients were single. Many (30%) reported substance abuse issues, 34% reported diagnosed mental illness, 23% were of Native ancestry, and 23% were incarcerated in the recent past, which is a significant increase over previous years. 29% of the cliental were receiving no income, while 31% were on Ontario Works. A much smaller population were receiving an income source through employment, disability pension, EI, or WSIB. Community workers report that finding motels to temporarily shelter individuals is becoming increasingly difficult. For example, in October of 2002, the lack of available accommodation resulted in the refusal of shelter services to 19 homeless individuals. It was noted that the Outreach Program is often an individuals last option, when all other possibilities are exhausted. As reported by The Housing Resource Centre Outreach Program Jan-Sept 2004 Report, 27% of clients sited their reason for homelessness was having no income/money, and 26% had recently been evicted. Additional reasons for homelessness included: domestic breakdown (20%), released from custody (6.0%), new in town/transient (5.8%), addictions (3.9%), and other unidentified reasons (10%). The lack of affordable housing in the area is cited most often as the main contributor to homelessness in Brant/Brantford.
Rent Bank Program

Launched in 2000, the Rent Bank Program provides re-payable loans to prevent individuals from losing their homes. Funded through the City, this program has helped
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numerous individuals maintain their tenancies. The main element of the program is an interest free, repayable loan to tenants on the verge of homelessness and/or facing utility disconnection. Borrowers are expected to pay back this interest free loan. In addition, this program provides referrals to appropriate services, budget counseling, mediation and assistance in locating or maintaining adequate, and affordable housing. Program staff indicated a significant inquiry rate for assistance since the inception of the program. Users are pre-screened over the telephone in order to determine eligibility. The demand for loans has increased steadily since inception of the program in 2000. The majority of applications seek out the Rent Bank Program after a loss or change of income, or when they are experiencing budgeting difficulties. In 2003 56% of loans were granted to applicants who had experienced a loss or change of income, while 25% went to those who were experiencing budgeting difficulties. Consequently, budgeting assistance was the number one type of referral given in 2003 comprising 36% of all referral types. Those who were disqualified were usually clients who were over two months in rent arrears, an eligibility criteria is for tenants with less than 2 months in rent arrears. When clients are refused loans, they are assisted with referral to agencies and/or with utility companies to help prevent eviction/disconnection. Additionally, mediation with landlords is employed whenever possible. .
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Summary of Emergency Housing

As discussed above, there is a strong need for increased emergency housing and temporary accommodation in Brant/Brantford due to the increasing level of demand. The lack of new affordable housing development, the increasing numbers of low income persons, and the low vacancy rate for rental properties in the area indicates a strong need for increased emergency and temporary shelters. In particular, shelter beds for families and single men appear to be in most demand. Although the recent addition of 12 beds at Nova Vita has addressed some of the demand for shelter beds for women and their children, the significant need for this type of shelter accommodation is expected to grow. Recommendation 9: Increase the supply of emergency and temporary/transitional housing. Community agencies serving homeless individuals and families, abused women and children, youth and those with mental health issues report a severe lack of appropriate emergency and transitional housing (housing with support toward independence). This shortage is exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing to transfer individuals and families to, from emergency accommodation.
Housing for Native Persons

Brantford is located adjacent to Canadas largest Native Reserve (Six Nations), which houses close to 10,000 residents. Brant/Brantford is estimated to have an urban aboriginal population of 6,000-7,000, which is expected to grow to about 10,000 by 2015. Many native persons experience housing difficulties on the reserve, and migrate into the City of Brantford in search of housing and support services. Accordingly, native persons comprise a significant component of Brant/Brantfords vulnerable population, particularly those in need of affordable housing. While the Aboriginal population accounts for only 3-5% of the total Brant/Brantford population, it accounts for 26% of the homeless population and about 25% of those on waiting lists for subsidized housing, as reported by Brantford Aboriginal Homelessness Alliance in March of 2004. Many of those at risk are single parent families, most often headed by women. As reported by Brantford Aboriginal Homeless Alliance Report15, the Aboriginal community tends to have lower educational levels, lower incomes, and higher unemployment rates when compared to the mainstream population of Brant/Brantford. Employed Aboriginals tend to be in low wage professions, and/or have part-time or seasonal work, which is in turn an unstable income. A large proportion of the Aboriginal population lives below the poverty line and pays more than 50% of their income on rent. As a result, they have difficultly finding and maintaining, affordable accommodation and more may be a risk of homelessness. Brant Native Housing (BNH) Corporation is the principal agency that provides affordable housing to the native population in Brant/Brantford. As of January 2003 there were a
15
Brantford Aboriginal Homelessness Alliance, March 2004
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total of 105 assisted-rental units for Natives throughout Brant/Brantford. These units are occupied on a rent-geared-to-income basis (25% of income). These units are mainly detached, semi-detached, and triplex dwellings. The majority of these units have 2 and 3 bedrooms. A total of 278 adults and children are housed in these 105 units, on average about 3.3 persons per household. It should be noted, this figure is much larger than the average household size in Brant/Brantford. Agency staff indicate that, despite the presence of these homes, there is still a significant need for affordable housing for native persons throughout the area. As of August 2005, there were a total of 231 applicants on the waiting list for affordable and subsidized native housing, representing 560 adults and children waiting to be housed,16 for an average of 2.4 persons per application. Children make up more than one-half of the population among these applicants. It should be noted that most of these children belong to single parent applicants. This indicates a major need to address the housing situation of native single parent families and children in Brant/Brantford. Discussions with Brant Native Housing staff indicate that there is a lot of overcrowding in units being rented at market cost in order to enable occupants to pay the rent. It was suggested that many pay as much as 70% of their income on rent. As seen, affordable housing is a major concern for native persons in Brant/Brantford.
Figure 13: Brant Native Housing Waiting List, As of August 2005
8% Single Men / Dads 27% 55% 10% Single Women / Moms Couples Children
Source: Brant Native Housing Waiting List, August 2005
16
Brant Native Housing, Current Waiting Lists Statistics as of August 18, 2005
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Even though Aboriginal people are reported to account for 26% of the homeless population, most tend not to access mainstream facilities and services due to a range of reasons, such as: discrimination, racism, prejudice, lack of cultural sensitivity, and lack of awareness, as indicated by the Brantford Aboriginal Homeless Alliance report (March 2004). This consequently, demonstrates the need for Aboriginal-specific housing, as well as transitional housing. Brant Native Housing is also formulating plans for new affordable housing projects for seniors and native persons, respectively. On April 6, 2005 it was announced that a funding of $354, 000 was being granted to Brantford Native Housing, to develop a 20 bed transitional house for homeless Aboriginal People. Recommendation 10: Expand the supply of Native Housing. There is a high rate of in-migration of Native persons from area reserves to Brant/Brantford. Brant Native Housing reports a current waiting list of 231 applications representing 560 adults and children. Brantford Native Housing has been successful in obtaining funding to develop a 20-bed transitional house for homeless Aboriginal people. Nethertheless, Native homelessness and affordable housing is still an issue of concern as the in-migration of Natives into the community continues on an upward trend.
Student Housing
Student housing has become an increasingly urgent issue in the City of Brantford with the growth of this communitys post-secondary institutions: Wilfrid Laurier Brantford University, Mohawk Collage, and most recently Nipissing University. Student enrolments at Laurier Brantford have been growing rapidly. Since 1995 student enrolment rates have increased approximately 80%. The following Table illustrates the increases in enrolment rate over the past 3 academic years. Of particular interest is the increase of student enrolment from the 2002/2003 to the 2003/2004 academic year, when both part-time and full-time enrolment rates nearly doubled within the school.17 This rise may be largely contributed to the Ontario governments decision to no longer include OAC in the school curriculum; which resulted in a double cohort of students entering post-secondary education.
17
Brantford Laurier http://www.wlu.ca/news_detail.php?grp_id=37&nws_id=234&filter_type=headline
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Figure 14: Enrolment Rates Brantford Laurier Campus, 2002-2005

Academic Year 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005 Part-Time Enrolment 80 105 105 Full-time Enrolment 340 635 935 Total 420 740 1040
Laurier Brantford University, Enrolment Rates 2002-2005
Beginning the 2005/2006 academic year, Brantford Laurier will have a total of four official residents that are directly affiliated with the university. These residents include: The Commercial Hotel (22 beds), Rizzo (29 beds), Post House (57 beds), and Grand River Hall with 123 beds. Additional student accommodations have also been developed in recent years in the downtown core; these include: Athenian Residence (17 beds), Homestead Properties Inc. (4 beds), GK York Management (30 beds), Kooyman's (22 beds), Lawyer's Hall (28 beds), and Bella Housing (22 beds). The majority of these units are not solely student housing, but have made identifiable changes in recent years to accommodate the growing student population such as leasing a specific number of beds for university students. Nevertheless, it should be noted that these residents only accommodate first year students, and do not address the housing needs of upper year students. Thus, affordable housing in the downtown core is needed. In April of 2005 the City of Brantford agreed to aid Laurier Brantford in its 4.7 million dollar Heritage Block proposal to refurbish the heritage Wilkes House property for a student residence and recreational/athletic complex. Located on Darling Street beside the new student centre, this new facility opened in January 2006. Also in 2005, the Brantford YMCA has made plans with the City to convert their 40 Queen Street location into a combined student and affordable housing project, which will house 112 students. Both these projects are also a huge contribution to the Citys ongoing downtown revitalization plans. Despite all this progress, continuing low vacancy rates, rising rent levels, and enrolment growth, prove that additional solutions still need to be found to ensure students are able to secure additional adequate, affordable housing within the City of Brantford. Additionally, two-thirds of students are out-of-towners, who in turn require some form of student accommodation. In 2002, Nipissing University and Laurier Brantford signed an articulation agreement to promote collaboration between the Faculty of Education at Nipissing University and the Contemporary Studies programs offered at Laurier Universitys Brantford campus. The new program combines Wilfrid Lauriers strengths in the liberal arts and sciences with Nipissings long history in teacher education. This Nipissing collaboration, although extremely beneficial to Brantfords economy by further attracting university students to the area, also further intensifies the already high demand for student housing. Additionally, continued strong enrolments at Mohawk College are also adding to this student housing demand in Brantford.
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Recommendation 11: Expand the supply of student housing. Wilfird Laurier University reports there will be a 300-unit shortfall in student housing over the next two years. On April 5, 2005 the City of Brantford agreed to aid Laurier Brantford with its 4.7 million dollar Heritage Block proposal to refurbish the heritage Wilkes House property for a student residence and recreational facility. Despite this progress, additional solutions still need to be found to ensure students are able to acquire additional adequate, affordable housing with the City.
Seniors Housing
As mentioned earlier, the proportion of seniors within our population is continuing to rise. According to the 2001 Census 12.9% of the Ontario population is over 65 years of age and almost 15% of the population in Brant/ Brantford fell into this category in 2001. This percentage is currently the highest level it has ever been. Moreover, this rate is expected to increase to approximately 22% by 2026. Consequently, a variety of housing for seniors in all parts of Brant/Brantford needs to be emphasised. While a range of such housing is currently being provided, most of it is unaffordable to seniors with low to moderate incomes. Particular attention should be placed on meeting both the accommodation and support services needs of seniors living in smaller rural communities, which will enable them to continue to live within these communities. Below we summarize the various forms of housing provided specifically for seniors in Brant/Brantford. Aside from various housing issues, seniors also face a multitude of transportation problems in the area. It was suggested that the lack of transportation often isolates seniors within their community, especially in the County.
Seniors Social Housing

The assisted and low-income senior housing portfolio in the City and County is comprised of the following. (Total 605 units):
Figure 15
Designated Seniors Social (Market and RGI) 2005 Housing Bachelor 7 10 0 0 1 Bed 478 3 19 73 2 Bed 8 0 6 1
Brantford Burford St. George Paris
In 2003 as a result of the 2002 Housing Strategy and tenant input the 516 units managed by the City (MNP/LHC) were restructured to house seniors aged 60 and over. The waiting list for seniors apartment was 190, as a result of these changes, the waiting list dropped to 169 as of August 2005. This is the lowest waiting list for any group, and currently seniors are usually housed within 12 months with some seniors complexes have no waiting list at all. Conversely. the waiting time for social housing for couples and singles is more than 5 years.
Setting a Seniors Mandate
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The City of Brantford Housing Department manages the former Brant Local Housing Authority (LHC). Included in this portfolio are 520 units located within 6 buildings, originally built for persons over the age of 65. Over the years the local demand for onebedroom units increased, and LHC began to accommodate some tenants under the age of 60 who were deemed senior like. This integration raised a number of issues within the buildings that are generally associated with conflicting lifestyles Using the senior age as 65 and leaving all buildings as senior only, assists to resolve the issue of inadequate supply of seniors housing. On the other hand, this creates an incredible strain on the units available for singles under the age of 65. Based on the results of the consultation, coupled with the aforementioned statistics the eligibility for these buildings was set at 60 years of age. This policy took effect October 2003. The waiting list for seniors (over 60) went from 190 to 169 (approximately 1 year). The waiting list for non-seniors (singles and couples) went from 499 to 417 (over 5 years), illustrating both the positive and negative effects of this policy on these populations.
Private Retirement Homes

As of July 2005, there were a total 604 beds in 14 privately owned retirement homes in Brant/Brantford18. It should be noted that some of these centres also have long term care facilities (subsidized) on the property. Tranquility Place offers the largest number of beds with 135. Other retirement homes such as Telfer Place and Charlotte Villa offer 80 beds each. In July 2005, these private retirement homes were contacted; 13 of the 14 private retirement homes responded. Of the 13 who responded, two indicated that they were at full capacity, with the other owners indicating that they had about 41 vacancies in total, this vacancy is slightly higher than the 31 in January 2003. Many retirement homes indicated that these vacancies were relatively recent, and that turnover rates were steady. In addition, only two retirement homes claimed to have waiting lists, with a total of 9 on the waiting lists. It must be kept in mind that these retirement homes require full payment of care and accommodation costs and are generally out of reach to seniors of low and moderate income. Although some homes do offer subsidized payments for their residents, not all of the homes offer this type of payment. The costs range from about $820 per month for a ward unit to $2,100 per month for a semi-private room. Private rooms in a private home cost up to $3,200 per month. Retirement homes, although expensive for some seniors, do fill an important need for many seniors in need of supports across the area.
Long Term Care Facilities

It is important to note that Long Term Care facilities are not considered an alternate form of housing. Rather, these facilities provide continuing care for seniors with recognized medical conditions. As a result, we have not categorized LTC facilities as alternate forms of housing, but do recognize that they play an important role in providing an important form of care and accommodation for some local seniors.
As of October 2002, these privately owned retirement homes were: Amber Lea, Brucefield Manor, Charlotte Villa, Darling Park, George St., Homestead, Kayorie, Magnolia, Penmarvian, Riverview Terrace, Sheridan, Terrace Park, Tranquility Place and Telfer Place City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
18
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There are presently seven long-term care facilities in Brant/Brantford. These include Hardy Terrace, John Noble Home, Leisureworld-Brantford, Versa-Care Centre of Brantford, Iroquois Lodge Nursing Home, and Park Lane Terrace, and Telfer Place for a total of 683 beds, as of July 2005. Approximately 200 beds were transferred from the John Noble Home to the new St. Josephs Lifecare Centre. The John Noble Home has plans to create 30 one-bedroom apartments in the wing left vacant by the transfer. Seniors who are capable of independent living but would enjoy the some of the amenities offered by the Home will occupy this wing. John Noble Home has secured a rent supplement allocation for 18 of the thirty units and has applied for funding under the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program to assist with the capital costs of the renovation. Discussions with those that work with our senior population, indicate that although the need for seniors housing in Brant/Brantford is currently being met, this type of transitional housing for those aged over 60, is in high demand within the community. Long Term Care (LTC) facilities and rates are governed by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The rates for LTC facilities usually range from $920 to $2030. It was suggested that these rates were often too expensive for many seniors on fixed incomes. In addition, seniors often view LTC as a last resort and would prefer to live independently in their homes for as long as possible. In this light, there is a substantial need for supportive and assisted housing for seniors with low incomes that would allow them to maintain their independence and remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Discussions with the Community Care Access Centre revealed that there are currently 80 seniors on the list for long-term care (LTC) beds throughout Brant/Brantford. However, it is important to note that the majority of those on the waiting list are seniors looking to transfer to a different facility, a different type of room within the same facility, or seniors that are currently in retirement homes and/or communities looking to go into LTC. Thus, this waiting list does not reflect a demand for LTC housing. If fact, many of the LTC facilities indicated that they had a surplus of beds. However, given the current trend in the aging population, it is expected these beds will gradually be filled over time.
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Summary of Seniors Housing

The above discussion has highlighted the need for a range of seniors accommodation and support services in Brant/Brantford. As noted, the Local Housing Corporation manages 579 seniors geared-to-income units. These units were at capacity as of July 2005. Aside from the seniors already housed in these RGI units, there were a total of 164 applicants on the wait lists for these units, as of July 2005. Additionally, while there is a relatively large supply of Private Retirement Homes and LTC facilities in the area, these are often viewed as last resort for seniors who prefer to maintain their independence for as long as possible in their own dwellings and communities. Thus, it is suggested that there is a need for increased support services in order to aid these individuals to maintain and continue living in their own dwellings rather than move them into a LTC facility. Recommendation 12: Ensure new housing meets the needs of aging population. The proportion of seniors within our population is continuing to rise. A variety of housing for seniors in all parts of Brant/Brantford, at all levels of incomes needs to be emphasized. Particular attention should be placed on meeting both the accommodation and support services needs of seniors living in smaller rural communities, which will enable them to continue to live within these communities, and those at the lower end of the income scale, who are facing affordability challenges.
COST OF OWNERSHIP HOUSING

As detailed in Table 40, Royal LePage provides a monthly survey on house prices for large urban centres, including the City of Brantford. The Royal LePage survey does not list house prices specific to Brant County. This survey details the average house prices for a variety of housing types as shown in Table 40 and Figure 16. Table 40 summarizes the Royal Lepage Survey of House Prices19 for various types of ownership housing in the City of Brantford. All types of housing increased in price between 1999 and 2004. The most significant increase is noted for executive detached two-story houses and condominium apartments between 1999 and 2004; as shown in Table 40, the average price for an executive detached two-storey house increased by 57.3%, from $184,900 to $291,000, during this time period. Similarly, the price of condominium apartments rose
According to the Survey of Canadian House Prices (http://www.royallepage.ca/schp/pdf/Q2_Survey2002_Eng.pdf - Second Quarter) publication, Housing values in the Royal LePage survey are Royal LePage opinions of fair market value in each location based on local data and market knowledge provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
19
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significantly between 1999 and 2004. The average price for a condominium apartment rose from $79,500 in 1999 to $123,000 in 2004, an increase of 54.7%. The average detached bungalow in Brantford escalated by 53.8% between 1999 and 2004, from $118, 950 to $183,000. The average townhouse cost $55,900 in 1999 and increased by 96.7% in 2004 to a cost of $110,000 in the City. These increases are taking such units further out of the reach of those with low and moderate income.
1 Table 40: Historical Comparison of Housing Prices, City of Brantford, 1999-2004

House Type 1999 Detached Bungalow Executive Detached Two-Storey Standard Two-Storey Standard Condo Apartment Standard Townhouse Senior Executive Average house price $118, 950 $184,900 $131,000 $79,500 $55,900 $272,500 2000 House Prices in October 2001 2002 $149,824 $264,845 $129,303 $87,500 $84,000 $253,375 2003 $163,000 $260,000 $166,000 $97,000 $95,000 $295,000 2004 $183,000 $291,000 $185,000 $123,000 $110,000 $320,000 % Change 99-04 53.8% 57.3% 41.2% 54.7% 96.7% 17.4%
$132, 268 $133,689 $217,687 $120,000 $90,062 $61,500 $257,500 $232,540 $128,671 $90,272 $80,307 $234,270
$140,458
$146,503
$146,129
$160,550
$179,333
$202,000
Source: Royal LePage House Price Survey, 1999-2004 (month of October)
Average Sale Price and Sale Price Categories

Figure 16 shows how the average sale price has consistently increased since 2000. Prior to 1997, the average annual MLS price had been in decline since 1990. The residential resale market in Brantford has recovered from the large price drops experienced in the early and mid-1990s. As shown in Figure 16, the increase in the average MLS sales price has increased at an accelerating rate since 2002. The total number of MLS sales increased from 1,871 sales in 2003 to 2,165 sales in 2004, for an increase of 16 percent of total sales between 2003 and 2004.
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Figure 16: Average MLS Residential Sale Price, 1993 to 2004.
Brantford Regional Real Estate Association Average MLS Residential Sale Price By Year:
1993 - 2004
$200,000 $190,000 $180,000 $170,000 $160,000 $150,000 $140,000 $130,000 $120,000 $110,000 $100,000
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 20 0 19 9 19 9 19 9 19 9 19 9 19 9 19 9 20 0 20 0 20 0 20 0 4
Sales Price
Year
Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (Compiled from Brantford Regional Real Estate Association Report, 2005)
Table 41 presents the distribution of 2003 and 2004 MLS sales by price category. Overall, there has been a general increase in the total number of residential sales between 2003 and 2004 of approximately 15 percent. There has been a consistent increase in the proportion of homes sold in higher price categories, along with a reduction in the proportion of homes sold in the lower price ranges since 2002. In terms of total sales volume, there has been a general decrease in the $100,000 and under category. For example, in 2003, there were 337 residential sales (17.8% of total sales) for homes $100,000. and below compared to 283 sales (12.9% of total sales) in 2004. This illustrates the decline of homes for sale under $100,000. The increase in the proportion of sales in the higher price categories is indicative of an increased demand in the move-up market and is a reflection of a stronger resale market. Additionally, it is an indication of the movement of home purchasers from the GTA market west into the Brantford area. Taking the midpoint of the $70,000 to $120,000 range ($95,000) and applying typical assumptions for down payment (10% under the CMHC high ratio loan program), mortgage rates (6.5% for five year fixed mortgage amortized over 25 years) and 1.67% of property value for annual property taxes, these homes would require a monthly payment of about $700.00, excluding utilities and maintenance costs. Using the guideline of paying 30% of household income on shelter, carrying a unit of this type would require an annual income of $28,000, as well as a down payment of about $9,500 (plus other closing costs such as legal fees and land transfer tax). Given the recent escalations in utility costs, expected increases in mortgage rates and the monthly maintenance costs for older units of this nature, realistically an income beyond the $28,000 level would be strongly advisable.
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Comparing this figure to the data from the last Census shows that about 35% of all households in Brant/Brantford would experience difficulty qualifying to purchase a unit in this range.
Table 41: MLS Sales by Price Category in Brant County, 2003 & 2004 Sales category Total Number Total Percentage of of Sales Sales
2003 <$69,999 $70-79,999 $80-89,999 $90-99,999 $100-109,999 $110-119,999 $120-129,999 $130-139,999 $140-149,999 $150-159,999 $160-169,999 $170-179,999 $180-189,999 $190-199,999 $200-249,999 $250-299,999 $300-399,999 $400,000+ 72 62 97 106 116 153 146 130 137 140 128 105 78 75 207 71 53 10 2004 46 41 79 117 121 157 178 154 120 126 146 138 135 100 300 133 55 32 2003 3.8 % 3.3 % 5.1 % 5.6 % 6.2 % 8.1 % 7.7 % 6.9 % 7.3 % 7.4 % 6.8 % 5.6 % 4.1 % 4.0 % 11.0 % 3.8 % 2.8 % 0.5 % 2004 2.1 % 1.9 % 3.6 % 5.4 % 5.6 % 7.2 % 8.2 % 7.1 % 5.5 % 5.8 % 6.7 % 6.3 % 6.2 % 4.6 % 13.8 % 6.1 % 2.5 % 1.5 %
Total Sales Volume ($)

2003 $4,222,910 $4,625,741 $8,274,784 $10,028,438 $12,144,288 $17,581,633 $18,219,150 $17,553,975 $19,846,627 $21,633,088 $21,045,314 $18,285,547 $14,373,890 $14,629,600 $45,857,223 $19,419,960 $18,143,800 $5,218,800 2004 $2,625,850 $3,074,192 $6,651,608 $11,098,425 $12,718,000 $17,967,500 $22,268,145 $20,778,438 $17,293,663 $19,499,160 $24,117,568 $24,061,152 $24,862,554 $19,374,965 $66,901,730 $36,122,076 $18,554,050 $15,947,400
Total Sales Volume (%)

2003 1.5 % 1.6 % 2.8 % 3.4 % 4.2 % 6.0 % 6.3 % 6.0 % 6.8 % 7.4 % 7.2 % 6.3 % 4.9 % 5.0 % 15.8 % 6.7 % 6.2 % 1.8 % 2004 0.7 % 0.8 % 1.8 % 3.2 % 3.5 % 4.9 % 6.1 % 5.7 % 4.8 % 5.4 % 6.6 % 6.6 % 6.8 % 5.3 % 18.4 % 9.9 % 5.1 % 4.4 %
TOTAL 1,886 2,178 100.0 100.0 291,104,768 $363,996,476 100.0 100.0 Source: City of Brantford Planning Department, 2005 (Compiled Brantford Regional Real Estate Association Report, 2005).
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Table 42: Homes Listed for Sale, (as of July 18, 2005) Price Range Under $70,000 $70,001 to $120,000 $120,001 to $140,000 $140,001 to $180,000 $180,001 and over
Source: MLS Web Site, July 18, 2005
City of Brantford 1 82 56 75 225
Brant County 3 18 4 13 137
Brant/Branford 4 100 60 88 362
COST OF RENTAL HOUSING

The CMHC Annual Rent Survey provides information on rental costs within existing conventional rental dwellings in urban centres. Table 43 indicates that average rents have steadily increased since 2000. Table 43 shows that average rents as of December 2005 are between $661 and $824 for one to three-bedroom units in the City of Brantford. As the vacancy rate has declined, the rate of rent increases has accelerated. Since 2000, average rents for one, two and three bedroom units have increased by 17.8%, 13.3% and 15.5%, respectively. Using the 30% guideline, the average rents for one-bedroom units are affordable to households with incomes of $26,436, average two bedroom units require incomes of $28,872 and average three bedroom units require incomes of $32,952. While more affordable than home ownership, such units are still out of reach of large segments of the population. Vacancy rate data, of course, shows that even these units have become scarce, as vacancy rates continue to decline.
Table 43: Average Rents, City of Brantford, 2000-2005 Number of Bedrooms 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom + Average Rent 2000 $561 $637 $689 $629 Average Apartment Rents 2001 2002 2003 $589 $650 $712 $650 $596 $665 $738 $666 $625 $675 $747 $682 % Change 2004 $633 $684 $768 $695 2005 $661 $722 $824 $735. 2000-2005 17.8% 13.3% 19.5% 16.8%
Source: CMHC Rental Market Report (2000-2005)
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AFFORDABILITY ANALYSIS
Affordable Housing Calculation
For the purposes of calculating affordable rent and housing prices the following assumptions were made: Rental housing costs were calculated at 30% of household income; Ownership housing costs were calculated based on a monthly tax rate equal to 1.67% of the house value; a 10% down payment; a mortgage interest rate of 6.50% and a 25 year amortization period. Based on these assumptions, affordable rent and ownership costs were calculated for household incomes in $10,000 increments from under $10,000, to an income of $50,000. Table 44 illustrates that households with under $10,000 in income can afford only rental housing under $250 per month. The only options available to these households are likely subsidized units, group homes or rooming houses. Households in the $10,000 to $19,999 income range, which comprised 13% of all households in Brant/Brantford in the last census, can afford rental housing in the $250 to $500 per month range (including utilities) and ownership units under $71,500. Such units are in extremely short supply anywhere in the area, and this group will benefit from subsidized rental housing. Households in this bracket who wish to purchase a home may find older homes in need of repairs and costly to heat in this price range. Households with incomes of $20,000 to $29,999 can afford rental housing in the $500 to $750 range (including utilities) and ownership units in the $71,500 to $105,000 range. While there are a few more units within these ranges, it is clear that such housing is in extremely short supply. It would also be noted that many existing rental dwellings in these rent levels have high utility costs, creating further pressures on affordability. Households with incomes less than $30,000 comprised about a third of all households in Brant/Brantford in the most recent census. While incomes may have likely grown slightly since that time, it is likely that many of these groups are experiencing serious affordability issues, and are in fact at risk of homelessness. The affordability analysis provided above can be further illustrated by comparing affordability levels to average rents in Brant/City of Brantford. Table 45 shows average rents as contained in the 2005 CMHC Rental Market Report for the City of Brantford. Average rents for one, two and three bedroom homes were $661, $722 and $824 respectively for the City of Brantford in 2005. According to the rental survey, these average rents for virtually all bedroom types are out of reach for all households with incomes under $20,000. As shown Table 44, 18% of all households in Brant/Brantford earned less than $20,000. according to the last census. In addition, as shown in Table 45, the majority of households in the $20,000 to $29,999 income level would experience affordability difficulties in the rental market.
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Table 44: Affordable Rent and Ownership Costs Based on Household Income, Brant/Brantford, 2001
Household Income Under $10,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $29,999 $30,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $49,999 Sub-total $50,000 and over Total Source: Statistics Canada, 2001 Census Number of Households (Refer to Table 16) 2,205 5,690 5,390 5,385 4,690 23,360 21,505 44,865 % of Total Households (rounded) 5% 13% 12% 12% 10% 52% 48% 100.0% $1,250 and higher $172,400 and over Affordable Rent (Monthly) Under $250 $250 to $500 $500 to $750 $750 to $1,000 $1,000 to $1,250 Affordable Ownership (Unit Cost) N/A Under $71,500 $71,500 to $105,000 $105,001 to $140,000 $140,001 to $172,400
The analysis of vacancy rates found in Table 46 indicates that the cost of existing rental accommodation is as much of a problem as is its lack of availability. Those living on fixed incomes, such as disability insurance, unemployment insurance and old age pensions are highly affected in terms of attaining housing they can afford on fixed incomes.
Affordable Rents, City of Brantford Table 45: Comparison of Average Rents to Affordable Rents, City of Brantford Affordable Rent (Monthly) Household Income Under $10,000 $10,000 to $19,999 $20,000 to $29,999 $30,000 to $39,999 $40,000 to $49,999 $50,000 and over Under $250 $250 to $500 $500 to $750 $750 to $1,000 $1,000 to $1,250 $1,250 and higher 70% 90%
30%
Average Rents ( Dec. 2005) 1 Bedroom 2 Bedrooms 3 Bedroom $661 $722 $824
Rent is affordable for households in this income category Rent is not affordable for households in this income category Indicates how the increase in rents restricts affordability for a % of households from April 2003 to December 2005
Source: CMHC Rental Market Report, Dec. 2005
An analysis of the affordability issue has revealed that the number of households with incomes below $30,000. has decreased from 35% to 30% since 2003, and the percentage of households with incomes between $30,000. and $ 39,999. has remained consistent in this time. The decrease in the numbers of households in the lower income bracket seems to be good news. However, when the increase in rental rates is taken
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into account, one can see from Table 45 that rental affordability has dramatically decreased for both of these groups.
Table 46: Private Apartment Vacancy Rates (%) by Bedroom Type, City of Brantford, 2004-2005 I bedroom 2004 1.4 2005 1.2 2004 2.0 2 bedroom 2005 2.2 3 bedroom + 2004 1.4 2005 1.4 2004 1.7 Total 2005 1.8
Source: CMHC Data Release Dec. 2005
Recommendation 13: Ensure new housing is affordable for all residents. 127 units per year are required for households below $20,000 and have need of some form of rental assistance such as rent supplement. In addition, rent supplements are also be required for a portion of the 82 units for households with incomes between $20,000 and $29,999. The remainder of households generally would not face affordability problems if rental and ownership housing were developed within current market levels.
CANADA/ONTARIO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM

The City of Brantford received funding from the first round of the Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing Program20, and 102 units of affordable rental housing are currently being built in the City and County for occupancy in 2006. In August of 2005 the second round of this program was announced with the City receiving $2.8M for 40 units of affordable rental and ownership homes and 50 housing allowances. The information from this Affordable Housing Demand and Supply Analysis and its recommendations will guide the development of affordable housing for the residents of this community. Recommendation 14: Include both the City of Brantford and Brant County in solutions. The analysis illustrates that the City and County each have unique housing needs and issues. It is important the affordable housing strategy address these unique needs and issues and develop appropriate solutions for each particular area. Recommendation 15: Advocacy. The City of Brantford has been successful in its bid to obtain funding from the first and second round of Canada/Ontario Affordable Housing Initiative due to the efforts of the community and political leaders to supports its Affordable 20 Housing Strategy. Rigorous efforts to advocate for fromAt all sectors need to al This program required funding contribution from each level of funds government. $50k per unit the feder Government contributed $25K, the provincial $2k and the made up the remaining $23K continue if this plan is expected to meeting its municipality stated goals.
through various grants etc. and cash. City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)
74

Brantford S&D Report March - 06

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Brantford S&D Report March - 06

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Brant/Brantford Affordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis Report

Revised March 2006

SHS Inc., Social Housing Strategists, Christine Pacini, Edward

Introduction ................................................... 6 Housing Demand Analysis........................... 8

Section 3: Housing Supply Analysis................................... 28

MAJOR FINDINGS of the Demand and Supply Analysis:

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Population, Changes and Trends:

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Current Demand for Affordable Housing:

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Composition of this Service Area:

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

2: Housing Demand Analysis

Permanent Population Growth And Distribution

Comparative Population Growth Rates

2001 118,485 11,410,046

Source: Statistics Canada, 1981, 1991, & 2001 Census

Population Growth Trends by Municipality

Natural Increase and In-Migration

Age Distribution Trends

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Table 3: Trends in Age Distribution by Age Group of Working-Aged Population (16-59)

Projected Population Growth By Municipality

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Projected Population Growth By Age

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Table 5: Ministry of Finance Population Projections by Age, Brant/Brantford

HOUSEHOLD GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census

Trends in Household Size

Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 and 2001 Census

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Trends In Household Type

Source: Statistics Canada, 1991, 1996 & 2001 Census

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Figure 4: Population by Family Type, Brant/Brantford, 1996-2001

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Figure 5: Population by Family Type, City of Brantford, 1996-2001

Projected Household Growth

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Figure 6: Projected Average Household Size, Brant/Brantford, 2001-2021 70,000

Labour Force Activity by Municipality

41,585 16, 035

44, 540 17,525

71.7% 28.2% 100.0%

Brant/Brantford Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 census

Labour Force Activity by Industry and Municipality

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Trends in Household Income

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Table 14: Comparison of Median Household Income, 1996 & 2001

Trends in Individual Income

Source: Statistics Canada, Taxation Data, 1991 to 2001

City of BrantfordAffordable Housing Supply and Demand Analysis (March, 2006)

Trends in Household Income Distribution

Source: Statistics Canada, 1996 & 2001 Census

Household Income by Municipality

Trends in Median Individual Income Distribution

Table 17: Household Income 2001