The need for additional housing remains foremost on the minds of many area communities and RMs. Grants are available from a variety of sources including the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). To access those grants, communities must have completed a Housing Needs and Demand Study to validate their need and the use for funding.
That’s why at a Special Meeting of Council, the City of Humboldt agreed to a sole source contract to Preferred Choice Development Strategists to complete the study at an estimated cost of $20,000.
At the meeting, City Manager Joe Day, who prepared the report and recommendation to Council, outlined that an internal, cursory study had been undertaken internally to meet the demands of a previous application to the Housing Accelerator Fund. Now, to access future funding, the report recommended having an external study completed to ensure Humboldt is compliant with CMHC’s information guidelines.
“With some of the activity recently, it came to our attention that our existing housing needs assessment is probably out of date and doesn’t have all the components that CMHC is looking for,” Day elaborated at the meeting. “We did get some advice, and we’re looking to move ahead promptly. That’s part of the reason to sole source it.”
The nod to Preferred Choice is based in part on discussions with an entity called the Iron Triangle Manufacturing Alliance (ITMA). The group of regional businesses extends from Melfort to Humboldt. The ITMA employed the services of Preferred Choice to complete research and prepare reports on its behalf. Given its familiarity with the region and its circumstances, Preferred Choice leaped to the key service provider spot for the City of Humboldt’s needs.
In his report, the City Manager outlined that Preferred Choice had completed similar studies for the communities of Melfort, Moosomin and Whitewood.
Given the need to expedite the study for upcoming applications, the report recommended offering a contract to Preferred Choice under a sole-source provider provision. The report confirmed that the $20,000 cost was considered reasonable and that the City had previously budgeted $50,000 for studies and reports related to growth.
Seeing the need to have such a study prepared to support Humboldt’s growth aspirations and its need for available funding, Council voted to adopt the recommendation and secure the services of Preferred Choice to undertake the work.