The waitlist for affordable housing has grown in Hastings County, according to a new report.
According to an annual report on housing brought forward to the Community and Human Services Committee, the need for subsidized housing is growing in the County. The report says that a waitlist for subsidized housing has grown nearly nine percent in 2020. In Bancroft alone, 344 applicants are on the waiting list, most of them families. 35 applicants in Bancroft were able to find homes.
The report also notes that 25 percent of households in the County pay 30 percent or more of their income towards their housing costs. Also, 15 percent of people in the county are in housing that is considered unsuitable, in need of repair or is unaffordable. While a no vacancy rate was not provided for the County, for the City of Belleville, it sits at 2.9 percent.
Warden Rick Phillips, says while there is progress, much more needs to be done. However, he is optimistic that partnerships will come, and it is something the County continues to focus on. Housing is the most important issue on the County’s plate and Phillips hopes provincial and federal governments will help out. While he can’t say they’ve done the best, Phillips says the County is working to make housing more affordable for residents.