A specialist in economic and regional development believes there will need to be significant
government intervention to address the housing crunch in this region.
The Director of the Harris Centre for Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University, Dr. Robert Greenwood was a panelist this week at a session on Urban Growth and Housing Challenges at the Atlantic Economic Forum at St. FX.
Greenwood says municipalities are on the front lines of this issue, but social housing is the responsibility of provinces. He says some municipalities are taking new approaches to accommodate developers. With rising costs and supply chain issues, Greenwood there’s real pressure on developers to find a new business model that works.
At the session, delegates were told of innovations being developed in University towns, where students in need of housing are involved in home share programs; matching them with older residents. Other solutions being explored is converting some office space, no longer being used because of the movement to remote work into condos and apartments.