"Less than 15% of households are able to purchase a home in Revelstoke"
Community
Housing market
Housing is a human right, and yet, it has become one of the province's biggest challenges. Affordable housing is defined one-third of a household's income, however, in 2016 a survey conducted by the city of Revelstoke determined that 34% of their resident sample size earned less than 30,000 before tax deductions. Even with an income of 100,000 per year, the rental price of a unit would have to be 2770, or less to be considered affordable. In addition, buying is not a viable solution for much of the population. In 2021, the average cost of a single family dwelling was about $751,500- Even the average condo in the Revelstoke area is selling for $563,000. This means that less than 15% of Revelstoke households are able to purchase a home. As a result, RCHS has partnered with the city and a number of charities, as well as crown corporations, such as, BC Housing, and Columbia Basin Trust to increase below market housing supply. But this task is no easy feat, and requires cooperation among many local and provincial stakeholders. Because of the vast need, not-for profits have their own niche populations they serve. At RCHS, our primary demographic is local working professionals with the intent to stay in the community.
Stay informed
Housing resources:
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Revelstoke Women's Shelter | A Safe Place for Victims of Abuse (revelstokewomensshelter.ca)
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Housing Support - Community Connections (community-connections.ca)
Rental insurance options
Funding opportunities
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Education Awards Program | BC Housing
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Housing application tips
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List housing and employee references, and attatch verified forms of income and savings.
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If you have trouble obtaining references, Renting it right provides a course called, Tenant-Landlord Law in BC | Renting It Right free of charge. Upon completion of the course you will be provided a certificate that may be used to help secure tenancy, as well as inform you of your rights as a tenant.
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Provide a profile about yourself. Things to include: hobbies, employment, occupants, your lifestyle (ex. student, parent, travel for work). Illustrate what makes you an outstanding tenant. If you do not include much information about yourself, the landlord will not know if you are the right fit for the unit, and will likely move onto another applicant.
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Show up when you schdule a meeting/viewing, or reschedule in a timely manner.
How to navigate housing
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Emergency housing is urgent short-term housing. This form of housing is often used for those fleeing immediate danger. It is often offered in the form of dorms, or motels/hotels.
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Transitional housing- temporary/ short term housing that allows indiiuals to find a job, recover, and/or save for permanent housing.
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Below market rentals/subsidized housing- a) housing at a reduced rate b) rent contribution is provided by government servicees to low income indiviuals.
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Secondary housing/ at market
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Ownership can be separated into 2 categories: co-op, and at market. a) Co-op's allow people to purchase a share of the building to live there at a reduced rate, as long as they also provide their time governing the entitiy. b) At market-housing is the purchase of the land and house itself, however, its a more expensive option that many cannot afford. Co-op ownerhsip can be used as a stepping stone to save for buying a house at market value.
