Quispamsis needs to create at least 125 new housing units annually through 2050 to keep up with expected growth.
That is one of the findings contained in a new housing action strategy that was approved by town councillors last week.
The strategy has been more than a year in the making and included engagement with the public and stakeholders.
Dwight Colbourne, manager of planning and development services, said there are 21 action items in four strategic buckets.
They include housing policy and planning, development and infrastructure, partnerships and engagement, and affordable housing and livability.
One of those action items includes introducing municipal plan policy to prioritize a variety of housing types in the town.
Colbourne said between 80 and 85 per cent of residential development in Quispamsis is single-detached dwellings.
“There is a need for diversifying housing stock. Different styles from multi-residential to terrace to duplexes to start looking at providing more units per lot as best as we can given the infrastructure that we have,” Colbourne told council.
The town is projecting to grow about 1.5 per cent each year, resulting in more than 8,400 new residents over the next quarter century.
Colbourne said the town will require more than 3,100 new housing units, or around 125 per year, in order to meet that growth.
While fewer than 10 per cent of the town’s residents were renters as of 2021, the estimated rental vacancy rate stood at between zero and 0.4 per cent.
Other action items include promoting the development of underutilized lots, continue to expand municipal water services, and regulating short-term rentals.
Mayor Libby O’Hara said described the strategy as a “very robust” document that has been needed by the town.
“This has responded to that need and the need for appropriate and affordable housing,” said O’Hara.
Action items in the plan will be rolled out over the short, medium, and long term.
