Defence Division has about 12,000 navy housing items accessible to lease on Canadian Forces bases and wings however defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre mentioned that between 4,000 and 6,000 extra items are wanted
OTTAWA — Hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members and their households throughout the nation are ready for navy housing, in accordance with the Division of Nationwide Defence forcing some native commanders to take uncommon steps to shelter their troops.
New figures offered to The Canadian Press present practically 4,500 service members and their households who utilized for navy housing had been sitting on a waitlist administered by the Canadian Forces Housing Company in July.
The scenario underscores what defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre has recognized as a major scarcity of reasonably priced housing for Canada’s navy. Earlier this yr Eyre mentioned it was as one of many high considerations for his troops.
The Defence Division has about 12,000 navy housing items accessible to lease on Canadian Forces bases and wings however Eyre has mentioned that between 4,000 and 6,000 extra items are wanted.
The waitlist is near 700 at CFB Esquimalt close to Victoria, B.C.,the place the native base commander has began letting new sailors stay of their coaching quarters for months after their preliminary coaching is completed.
“One thing that I’ve accomplished out of empathy and concern for the place that our junior sailors discover themselves in is to soak up these sailors into what are supposed to be coaching and operational lodging,” mentioned navy Capt. Jeffrey Hutchinson.
Different bases and wings with massive waitlists embrace Halifax, Comox, B.C., and Ottawa, Borden, Petawawa, Kingston and Trenton, all in Ontario.
At 19 Wing Comox, Armed Forces members had been informed earlier this yr that they might contact Habitat for Humanity in the event that they wanted assist discovering housing.
The Defence Division mentioned 5 years in the past the Canadian Forces Housing Company proposed to construct 1,300 new items over 10 years. It was going to contemplate “alternate supply choices” resembling leases and public-private partnerships for the remainder.
However within the 5 years since that proposal was raised, solely 132 items have been constructed throughout the nation.
Actual property advisor Ben Myers mentioned rental costs in most markets have not adopted the drop in housing costs spurred by current hikes to rates of interest. He mentioned the nationwide rental common in August was $1,959, larger than the earlier file of $1,954 in September 2019.
Myers mentioned some renters are opting to remain put as a substitute of shopping for a house solely to see its worth drop as housing costs fall.
“So a few of these potential patrons are staying within the rental market, in the event that they had been already renters, and form of decreasing the availability of listings which can be on the market,” he mentioned in an interview.
Whereas Myers mentioned the pendulum will ultimately swing again when rents turn out to be so excessive and residential costs so low that it makes extra sense to purchase than lease, precisely when that can occur stays a thriller.
The seek for reasonably priced housing isn’t distinctive to members of the Canadian Armed Forces however these serving in uniform are sometimes pressured to stay in sure communities and relocate typically as a situation of employment.
An inner report by the navy’s morale and welfare unit in 2018 discovered one in 4 Armed Forces members are required to relocate yearly attributable to coaching or operational wants.
Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee acknowledged the housing drawback as his power struggles to to usher in new recruits amid a shortfall of 1,300 sailors.
“The problem for the navy is that we recruit individuals from throughout Canada, after which we transfer them to 2 locations in Canada which have among the many highest housing value rises and lowest emptiness charges,” he mentioned.
“Victoria has at all times been costlier than Halifax. However over the previous couple years, we now have seen emptiness charges plummet in Halifax and costs undergo the roof.”
Topshee mentioned the issue additionally impacts extra skilled sailors who beforehand moved out of their rental properties whereas deployed on six-month excursions at sea.
He mentioned along with constructing extra navy housing, the navy is trying to work with native communities to seek out some options.
“That is one thing the place we’re hoping that the provinces and the federal authorities and municipalities get collectively and determine: how can we create sufficient housing for all Canadians,” he mentioned. “As a result of we are going to profit from that finally.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Oct. 3, 2022.
Lee Berthiaume, The Canadian Press
