The Strathcona Regional District on Vancouver Island conducted a housing needs survey aimed at determining levels of housing access in individual communities from April 11-May 11. Cortes Island is within the district and residents actively participated in the survey.

The Cortes Island Women's Resource Center helped with distribution and participation was significant. About 130 permanent residents out of a population of 1,000 filled out the survey, which was the highest return rate in the district based on population.

Women's Resource Center Executive Director Tanya Henck says survey results will be made public this summer. A third party non-profit agency, the Rural Development Network of Alberta is compiling the data and ensuring participant anonymity and unbiased data collection.

Henck is hopeful that federal, provincial and municipal funding agencies will now have concrete data in hand to allocate resources aimed at addressing the rural and urban housing crisis.

Hear details about the survey engagement and process in the CKTZ News report below: