Housing, tourism, cost of living impacting Banff residents’ well-being

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A report back to Banff city council final week suggests housing challenges, tourism impacts, the price of residing and a lack of group connectedness are taking a toll on residents.

On the Jan. 22 council assembly, workers introduced the outcomes of the city’s 2023 Neighborhood Social Evaluation. The 146-page report outlines Banffites’ sense of well-being via a compilation of quantitative and qualitative knowledge analyses.

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The city conducts the in-house evaluation each 5 years. The 2023 report used Statistics Canada assets and 2021 census knowledge, in addition to questionnaires and conversations with lots of of residents, to color an image of total group satisfaction in Banff.

Whereas many residents who participated within the evaluation stated they love Banff’s small-town really feel, its walkability and locals’ appreciation of nature and environmental stewardship, the report states many challenges have put residents underneath immense pressure.

Councillors heard final Monday that this yr’s evaluation revealed housing stays probably the most urgent concern amongst Banff residents, rating 30 per cent greater than over-tourism, which was deemed the second most vital problem dealing with residents.

“The housing challenges are usually not new,” stated Jill Harisson, a group social planner for the City of Banff, when presenting the report back to council. “The residents stated that. They reiterated over and over that they know that housing in Banff shouldn’t be a brand new problem.

“Nonetheless, the problem has modified.”

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‘Full spectrum’ of housing challenges, decrease earnings ranges felt in Banff

The report states that though Banff’s housing inventory has elevated within the final 5 years, it has not solved a persistently low emptiness charge, which dropped as little as 0.3 per cent in 2022.

Nor has extra housing growth “adequately met the evolving wants of an ageing and altering group,” the report states.

In comparison with the final evaluation in 2018, Harrison added residents are actually experiencing a “full spectrum” of housing challenges in Banff, together with affordability, availability and accessibility.

“Residents referred to it as a housing disaster and report it as the first stressor impacting their psychological well being, inflicting emotional misery and nervousness and the primary motive why they would depart the group,” she stated.

Some respondents had been annoyed by what they understand as an absence of enforcement of Parks Canada’s residency necessities, which stipulate that with the intention to dwell in Banff, one should maintain a job there. They expressed need to see a yearly verification system set as much as show one’s residency.

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Excessive rental costs proceed to current vital housing challenges in Banff, based on the evaluation. The report revealed 26 per cent of Banff households — just below 500 — had been spending greater than 30 per cent of their mixed earnings on housing.

Exacerbating the excessive price of housing in Banff, earnings ranges are additionally decrease there than in different Canadian mountain resort cities, together with Canmore, Jasper, Fernie, Whistler and Revelstoke. In response to the report, 49 per cent of staff in Banff earned lower than $40,000 yearly in 2021, whereas 17 per cent earned beneath $20,000.

Throughout her presentation, Harrison introduced up that some Banff residents who took half within the evaluation stated they labored two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Banff residents specific considerations over tourism

Along with housing and cost-of-living pressures, the evaluation revealed over-tourism and a lack of group connectivity as different elements impacting Banff residents’ well-being.

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The evaluation highlighted resident frustration with visitors congestion, noise and car air pollution spilling into residential neighborhoods. Some cited this as ensuing from the closure of Banff Avenue to vehicular visitors, the report acknowledged.

Some respondents additionally complained a few lack of correct path etiquette amongst vacationers, in addition to worry of colliding with guests on e-bikes.

Others expressed exasperation with Banff’s fame as a “get together city,” and complained of elevated disorderly behaviour from vacationers.

“They reported the impacts of tourism, or what they known as over-tourism, resulted in challenges for them that outweighed the advantages of residing and dealing in Banff,” Harrison informed council.

The 2023 Neighborhood Social Evaluation will assist information choices associated to city coverage, applications and companies, based on the report, whereas additionally establishing ongoing knowledge to assist analyze change in the neighborhood over time.

On the finish of the assembly, Banff Mayor Corrie DiManno applauded workers for placing collectively the report, calling the Neighborhood Social Evaluation a “worthwhile and invaluable” train that can assist inform the city’s future coverage and programming choices.

“Admittedly, a whole lot of it’s robust to learn,” she stated. “I’ve a whole lot of deep empathy for folk who’re struggling financially, socially, mentally in our group. It may be very arduous to learn that on the web page, however I additionally suppose it’s very motivating to attempt to do higher, bridge these gaps and attempt to enhance the social material of our group.”

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