(File photo/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Humboldt housing report

Housing need highlighted by delegation at Humboldt council meeting

Oct 28, 2025 | 1:24 PM

Council in Humboldt heard from a delegation at Monday night’s meeting about the need for housing in the community.

Preferred Choice Development Strategists presented the Humboldt Housing Need and Demand Market Assessment Report.

Manager of Development and Marketing Jarrett Delbridge told northeastNOW the report is largely centred on the growth initiatives in the area tied to BHP and the so-called ‘Iron Triangle’, consisting of Bourgault, Dry Air, Schulte Industries, and other local manufacturers.

“We are expecting substantial growth, and we will be needing quite a substantial number of homes over the next 10 to 15 years,” Delbridge said. “The report suggests we might need 1,000 to 1,100 homes in the next 15 years.”

The report stated that the mining and manufacturing sectors in the Humboldt area are expected to experience significant growth over the coming years, and that means Humboldt needs an influx of housing and rental housing.

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Delbridge said when the BHP project in Jansen begins new phases and should the manufacturing businesses decide to expand and hire new employees, that could also lead to future growth in the area. The number of houses estimated in the report roughly lines up with what the City of Humboldt had already surmised according to Delbridge, especially if the BHP project’s local incentives and policies in place continue and the demand for local manufacturing continues to grow.

While BHP’s Jansen project gets a lot of headlines, local manufacturing is also crucial to growth in Humboldt and area. Delbridge said the local ‘Iron Triangle’ composes about 10 per cent of the manufacturing GDP of the entire province, and the companies have about 1.2 million square feet of industrial space.

“They’re quite large, and a large contributor to the [economy] of this region.”

The assessment report also outlined the need for the City to ensure that developers see the region as an enticing place to expand.

“The City of Humboldt must actively engage and offer an attractive business case to developers and builders to encourage, facilitate, assist, and advance the development of housing to address the projected workforce and general housing needs of Humboldt,” the report stated.

The report also outlined a population forecast for Humboldt that shows the city could have over 9,000 inhabitants by the year 2036.

Delbridge said the city will distribute the report on its website and will also use it for development and promotion of the area.

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com