Colwood is striving to provide a range of housing choices for people at every age and stage of life.
In 2021 Colwood led the region in new home completions with 350 new units, two thirds of which meet the definition of affordable housing.
New developments in Colwood contribute to affordable housing
Colwood's Affordable Housing Reserve is a fund that developers contribute to when they build in Colwood. The CIty may then allocate funds from the reserve to support new affordable housing opportunities for people with a wide range of needs.
In 2017 alone, the City of Colwood approved $886,000 from the developer funded Affordable Housing Reserve and waived amenity contributions to offer new affordable housing options through the Greater Victoria Housing Society and Pacifica Housing. The reserve was also used to support new affordable housing at 330 Goldstream Avenue.
Housing Needs Report
The City of Colwood Housing Needs report is part of a regional approach to addressing housing need in partnership with the Capital Regional District (CRD) and other member municipalities.
BC Government Housing Needs Reports are a way for communities to better understand their current and future housing needs. These reports can help identify existing and projected gaps in housing supply by collecting and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information about local demographics, economics, housing stock, and other factors.
What's included in the Housing Needs Report?
- The Housing Needs Report outlines the number of housing units required to meet current housing and anticipated housing needs for at least the next 5 years, by housing type. Housing ‘type’ is defined as dwelling size (number of bedrooms)
- Statements about key areas of local need, including affordable housing, rental housing, special needs housing, seniors housing, family housing and shelters and housing for people at risk of homelessness
- The number and percentage of households in core housing need and extreme core housing need