Why this is important. One in five Saint John residents lives in poverty, as do one in three children under the age of six. Over 40% of our existing housing was built before 1960 and needs significant renovation just to meet minimum standards.  Safe, affordable housing should be a top priority in this community.

What ZoneSJ gets right.  Affordable housing development is allowed everywhere residential development is allowed.  This helps to prevent ghettoization, and might help people living in poverty in our Priority Neighbourhoods migrate into other parts of the city, decreasing the concentration of poverty in a given neighbourhood.

ZoneSJ also reduces parking requirements by 50% for units that meet the Affordable Dwelling definition (and further reduces the requirement by 20% in the Intensification Areas).

ZoneSJ allows people who live in their own home to build Secondary Suites, making the home more affordable to the owner and providing an affordable rental unit to someone else.  It also allows people who live in their own home to build Garden Suites (i.e. Carriage or Laneway Houses).

Issues and opportunities. Unfortunately the options for Secondary and Garden Suites are only available to people who live in the property they own; almost 10% of our housing is owned by “absentee landlords” and those properties are not eligible for this form of affordable housing.

The definition of Affordable Dwelling is attached to the NB Affordable Housing Program, a provincial government subsidy program for affordable housing development.  This definition is too restrictive to promote affordable housing development, particularly in the private sector, and the attachment to a funding program that is not controlled by the City is too precarious to rely on.  However, the city could adopt the commonly accepted definition of 30% of the most recent Market Basket Measure (provided by StatsCan) for Saint John, a number which accurately reflects the cost of living specific to our city.  This alternative definition is more accurate, less restrictive, easy for city staff to administer, and easy for developers to understand.

With the exception of the parking reduction, ZoneSJ does not include incentives to promote the development of affordable housing.  While slim margins for developers are the norm, affordable housing is even less attractive and less likely.  So with the exception of the work of a few non-profit agencies, affordable housing developments are not likely to occur.

If we want affordable housing in our city we will have to provide incentives to encourage this form of development.  Progressive communities who are achieving poverty reduction make this a priority, and generally provide a number of different incentives that are relevant to the many different types of housing needed.  For example:

• Land Banks allow market-rate developers to donate a land parcel to the “bank”, which is set aside for future affordable housing projects.  This incentive is often attractive to developers of high-end properties on a larger scale.
• Waived fees are a simple incentive tool for municipalities, where application fees and other costs associated with project planning are waived in return for the inclusion of affordable units.
• Cash-in-Lieu programs allow developers to make a financial contribution to a dedicated fund, in lieu of meeting certain development requirements.  This option is often attractive to small-scale developers and infill projects.
• Tax Holidays are arguably the most attractive to all developers and are often cited as the main incentive for providing affordable units in a mixed-income development.  A short-term (typically 2-5 year) tax holiday could be a significant help in creating new affordable housing units.

There are many other ways to incentivize, manage and enforce affordable housing development.  Including a program of this nature in ZoneSJ is a necessity if we want to ensure a safe and warm roof over our collective heads.

Cheat sheet for your feedback. If you want to provide feedback on this issue, feel free to use or edit the statements below:

Simple version
Saint John needs more affordable housing, and developers need to be encouraged to build it in many different forms. 

The definition of Affordable Dwelling in ZoneSJ is too narrow.  Please use a definition that does not rely on participation in a funding program run by another level of government. Use 30% of the most recent Market Basket Measure for Saint John.

Provide a range of incentives to make it attractive and worthwhile for developers to include some affordable units in their projects.  Create an incentive program based on proven practices, which allows developers to pick and choose what they need to get the project built. 

More detailed version

1. Redefine Affordable Dwelling as 30% of the most recent Market Basket Measure for the City of Saint John.
2. Establish an administration system for the Affordable Dwelling Program which is based on real data, easy for city staff to administer and easy for developers / property managers to participate in.
3. Establish an enforcement scheme with financial penalties that, at a minimum, ensure cost-recovery.
4. Allow Secondary and Garden Suites in non-owner occupied properties.
5. Create a “menu” of incentives specifically to promote the development of affordable housing.
6. Permit mobile homes in intensification areas (in locations where they fit the built form, and with the application of appropriate standards).

The deadline for your feedback to the City on ZoneSJ is Friday November 29th. Submit your input to (via webform, or in writing to planning@saintjohn.ca). And copy your councillors.