The issue of affordable housing was front and centre as Belleville’s Planning Committee considered the city’s Official Plan update Tuesday night.
As the city’s official plan update nears completion, some members of the planning committee expressed concerns about the availability of housing for people on lower incomes.
Chair Councillor Paul Carr told the committee “the issue is what residents make, what they can afford.”
He tells Quinte News that the city is at the point of accepting diverse types of housing because the need is so great.
He says pointing it out in the official plan is a start.
Councillor Bill Sandison indicated that protecting the rental properties the city has so they aren’t turned into condominiums is also important.
Carr also pointed to the possibility of having what he called “tiny homes” for people who need affordable housing.
The public has the opportunity to make written comments on the report.
According to the consultant’s report presented to the committee, the City of Belleville has enough land to accommodate commercial, residential, community facility and employment growth for the next 20 years.
More on that report HERE
