Affordable housing and low income households in Prince George

According to the Prince George Official Community Plan, the residents of Prince George require satisfactory shelter that is "affordable at all income levels." This thesis explores three distinct aspects of this declaration. First, it establishes the political circumstances behind this statement, tracing the fiduciary responsibility from the federal government to the Province, and subsequently down to the municipality. Second, it assesses housing affordability using four hypothetical households to demonstrate which size of low-income household experiences the greatest challenge in securing suitable accommodations. In this analysis, average rent for rental accommodation is compared to the housing budget for low income households. The analysis identifies small, low income households as those that experience the greatest challenge in securing affordable housing. The third objective is to survey key informants for their insight into the issue. Representatives from market and non-market housing, municipal and provincial governments are interviewed for their insight into affordable housing conditions in Prince George. The thesis concludes that Prince George affordable housing policy should be based on consideration of the size of the low income family group, and that this should be factored into policy.