The Official Saint John, NB Project Thread - Page 709

cdnguys · #**14161** Posted **Dec 3, 2023, 4:17 PM**

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cdnguys · #**14162** Posted **Dec 3, 2023, 4:33 PM**

According to March 6th Huddle magazine article, developer states that five apartments will be “affordable units”, and of those units, three will be “universally accessible”.

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cdnguys · #**14163** Posted **Dec 3, 2023, 4:35 PM**

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cdnguys · #**14164** Posted **Dec 3, 2023, 4:43 PM**

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Helladog · #**14165** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 1:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdnguys

According to March 6th Huddle magazine article, developer states that five apartments will be “affordable units”...

Wouldn't it be nice if they were all 'affordable'.

sailor734 · #**14166** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 11:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helladog

Wouldn't it be nice if they were all 'affordable'.

Exactly! Take a 40 unit building.....if 5 units are "affordable" then by definition are the other 35 "unaffordable"?

Seriously though. We seem to have an economy where one sector is badly out of balance. In order to get back in sync we need either a significant rise in income levels or a large drop in housing costs.

There was a CBC article the other day that suggested the minimum "living" wage in Fredericton was now close to $25/hr.

cdnguys · #**14167** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 11:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor734

Exactly! Take a 40 unit building.....if 5 units are "affordable" then by definition are the other 35 "unaffordable"?

Seriously though. We seem to have an economy where one sector is badly out of balance. In order to get back in sync we need either a significant rise in income levels or a large drop in housing costs.

There was a CBC article the other day that suggested the minimum "living" wage in Fredericton was now close to $25/hr.

Affordable is simply a math formula targeting certain individuals. That doesn’t make the remaining apartments unaffordable - they will be at market rates meaning they are affordable to anyone willing and able to pay the price. Despite the large amount of poverty in the city, there is also a large amount of wealth, old money / new money and high earning jobs. We don’t have enough units being built like Fredericton and Moncton to free up other units for that “trickle down” benefit because we need 1200 a year just to accommodate those that want to move here and we’re only building 400-600 a year.

sailor734 · #**14168** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 2:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Affordable is simply a math formula targeting certain individuals. That doesn’t make the remaining apartments unaffordable - they will be at market rates meaning they are affordable to anyone willing and able to pay the price. .

It was a weak attempt at humour. I understand the "affordability" formula and how the percentage spent on housing doesn't apply to high income or high net worth individuals

adamuptownsj · #**14169** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 2:25 PM**

A hidden housing cost is, to get access to CMHC or provincial support for affordable housing, you have to go above and beyond the National Building Code efficiency guidelines-- much more than anyone would do building, say, some market-rate apartments or nice single family homes.

It's crazy how much more expensive it is to build 20% better than the 2015 code... and your reward is you get to collect lower rents. It does not incentivize affordable housing at all.

cdnguys · #**14170** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 3:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

A hidden housing cost is, to get access to CMHC or provincial support for affordable housing, you have to go above and beyond the National Building Code efficiency guidelines-- much more than anyone would do building, say, some market-rate apartments or nice single family homes.

It's crazy how much more expensive it is to build 20% better than the 2015 code... and your reward is you get to collect lower rents. It does not incentivize affordable housing at all.

System is broken IMO. The whole point is you have to incentivize developers to build affordable units. It shouldn’t be a struggle for developers. We should be going out of our way to make it easier/better.

sailor734 · #**14171** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 3:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

A hidden housing cost is, to get access to CMHC or provincial support for affordable housing, you have to go above and beyond the National Building Code efficiency guidelines-- much more than anyone would do building, say, some market-rate apartments or nice single family homes.

It's crazy how much more expensive it is to build 20% better than the 2015 code... and your reward is you get to collect lower rents. It does not incentivize affordable housing at all.

You are confused. Most government policies and programs are about political optics, virtue signaling and conforming to ideology, certainly not about efficiency or actually achieving stated goals. If the latter happens it's almost certainly an accidental byproduct of the program.

MonctonRad · #**14172** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 3:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor734

You are confused. Most government policies and programs are about political optics, virtue signaling and conforming to ideology, certainly not about efficiency or actually achieving stated goals. If the latter happens it's almost certainly an accidental byproduct of the program.

Truer words.......

cdnguys · #**14173** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 5:27 PM**

Heavy equipment on flatbread trailers arrived at Steepleview site

DyAm00394 · #**14174** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 5:58 PM**

A source has mentioned they've spotted an excavator at the Exhibition Park property on the east side. Any ideas of what's planned?

Update: Someone has mentioned that they've heard the city was in talks with the SJ Exhibition Association to build baseball and football fields on the property.

adamuptownsj · #**14175** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 8:01 PM**

Steepleview: great news, time for a thread soon?

Housing costs: as an example, insulation requirements alone represent a 3-4% construction cost increase compared to just building to the code. HVAC, water, electrical... probably another 2-3% between them. That's not trivial. And yeah I take a dim view of the government generally, but why would they not just require affordable housing to meet the same standards all housing meets? Or to get dangerously libertarian... why not a lower standard? Affordable housing has NEVER been brand new or perfect but it's supposed to be now. Stupid.

cdnguys · #**14176** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 9:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamuptownsj

Steepleview: great news, time for a thread soon?

Housing costs: as an example, insulation requirements alone represent a 3-4% construction cost increase compared to just building to the code. HVAC, water, electrical... probably another 2-3% between them. That's not trivial. And yeah I take a dim view of the government generally, but why would they not just require affordable housing to meet the same standards all housing meets? Or to get dangerously libertarian... why not a lower standard? Affordable housing has NEVER been brand new or perfect but it's supposed to be now. Stupid.

Another bookmark to add

Maybe once you and St Vin underway we can have Waterloo Village

sailor734 · #**14177** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 10:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdnguys

Another bookmark to add

Maybe once you and St Vin underway we can have Waterloo Village

Wouldn't that be nice! "Gentrification" isn't always a bad thing if it means decent housing for regular working people as it would in this case.

Franco401 · #**14178** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 10:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor734

Wouldn't that be nice! "Gentrification" isn't always a bad thing if it means decent housing for regular working people as it would in this case.

That is actually not gentrification at all. It's just revitalization and rebuilding

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cdnguys · #**14179** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 10:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailor734

Wouldn't that be nice! "Gentrification" isn't always a bad thing if it means decent housing for regular working people as it would in this case.

Once “Hospital Hill” projects start that will be even more in area.

cdnguys · #**14180** Posted **Dec 4, 2023, 11:33 PM**

Quispamsis currently active in planning:

- Review for 12 potential rezonings creating townhouses, condos, apartments and mixed use with potential to create 668 dwelling units.

- Review for 14 active new subdivisions under review potentially creating more than 235 lots.

2023 so far: 52 new homes built and 19 multi-family/apartment units for a total of 71 new units.

Source: Quispamsis Engineering and Works Budget 2024