A Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire consultants to undertake a housing study in Timmins will be ready for release soon. The RFP is undergoing final review at the City. Once approved, it will be posted on the City website. Interested consulting firms will be able to submit proposals in response to the RFP.
The housing study seeks to create an inventory of the community’s housing stock. The consultants will collect data on current types of housing available in Timmins at all levels: from social and affordable housing, to mid-range and higher-end housing. The study will identify gaps in the housing spectrum and recommend strategies and partnerships to improve the quantity and quality of housing in Timmins. This data may be used by public and private developers in an effort create new housing developments that target the highest areas of need.
The RFP will close in mid-January. The proposals submitted in response to the RFP will then be reviewed by the Housing Committee, with the expectation to hire a consulting firm in February 2013.
The housing inventory is just one step in the long process of Timmins 2020’s Housing project. If you would like to share your thoughts on the issue of housing in Timmins, visit our Facebook or Twitter feeds, where we have been asking housing-themed questions for the past two weeks. Questions we have asked include (to name a few):
- What do you think is “affordable” in terms of housing?
- If you had significant funds to spend/invest in Timmins buildings (houses, commercial lots, etc.), what would you buy and what would you do with it?
- In what creative ways can Timmins build more homes without further expanding the outskirts of the city?
You can also vote in our latest housing-themed poll in Timmins 2020’s website sidebar at www.timmins2020.ca. The poll will remain open until Monday, December 17, 2012.
Your feedback is very important to us. Several of our most frequent commenters on social media are being recognized for their contributions during the upcoming Year 2 Update event. Feedback is used to help Timmins 2020’s sub-committees make recommendations to the Steering and Admin Committees.
