Final Report: Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability

Mayor’s Task Force on Housing aFFordabiliTy

bold ideas Towards an aFFordable ciTy

02 ForewordbytheCo-Chairs

04 TheChallenge

07 EnhancingAffordability

08 TaskForceRecommendations

24 PublicConsultationandFeedback

28 re:THINKHousingIdeasCompetition

34 SummaryandNextSteps

36 Appendices

THe Mayor’s Task Force on Housing aFFordabiliTy aiMs To Make VancouVer a More liVeable, susTainable, and aFFordable ciTy.

A messAge from the tAsk force co-chAirs

02 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012

dear citizens of Vancouver,

OnbehalfoftheMayor’sTaskForceonHousingAffordability,itiswithpleasurethat

wepresentourfinalreport.Webegantoexplorehousingaffordabilitytogetherback

inJanuary2012,producedaQuickStartsreportinMarchandaninterimreportinJune.

Ourfinalreportrepresentstheculminationofourworkonthemosteffectivewaysto

improveaffordabilityinVancouver.

Weknowthatmanypeopleacrossawiderangeofincomesfaceaffordabilitychallenges

inourcity,fromthosewithlittleincomeandnohousingtothosewithahigherincome

butwhostruggletofindaffordable,suitableandadequatehousing.Wehavefocused

oureffortsonaddressingaffordabilityforlowtomiddleincomehouseholdsinVancouver,

includinglowerincomesinglesandcoupleswithcriticalneedsforsuitablerental

accommodation;singlesandcouplesstrugglingtobuytheirfirsthome;familieswith

childrenwantingtoliveinthecityratherthanhavingtomovetothesuburbs;and

empty-nestersandseniorswishingtodownsizetheirhomeswithouthavingto

leavetheirneighbourhoods.

TheTaskForcefocusedonaffordabilitysolutionsformoderateincomehouseholds

earningbetween$21,500andacombined$86,500butacknowledgedthathousing

challengesfacedbylowincomehouseholds(earninglessthan$21,500)continueto

beacriticalpublicpolicyconcernforalllevelsofgovernment.However,itnotedthat

theCity,alongwithothernon-profitandgovernmentpartners,isalreadystrongly

committedtoactioninthisareathroughrecommendationsadoptedbyCouncilin

itsHousingandHomelessnessStrategy.Thesehouseholdsatthelowestendofthe

incomerangearenotthemainfocusofthisreport.

Ourfinalreportbuildsonourearlierpolicyrecommendationsbyincorporatinginput

fromthere:THINKHousingIdeasCompetition,aswellastheonlinepublicsurvey.

Boththecompetitionandthesurveyprovidegoodindicationsofthetypesofhousing

peoplewanttoseeinVancouverandthedifferentwaysinwhichwecanachieveit.

Webelievethatthisreportprovidesablueprintforbothshortandlong-termpolicy

directionstosignificantlyincreaseaffordablehousingoptionsinVancouver,and

encourageCityCounciltoembracetherecommendationsandtakeactiononthe

mostpressingpolicyissueinVancouvertoday–thelackofaffordablehousing.

Yourssincerely,

Mayor gregor robertson & olga ilich

Co-Chairs,Mayor’sTaskForceonHousingAffordability

03

Vancouver faces severe housing challenges:

½ VancouverhasthehighesthousingpricesinCanada,andthevastmajorityofhouseholdsinVancouverhaveincomeswellbelowthoserequiredtopurchaseevenamodestcondo.

½ Vacancyratesintherentalstockarechronicallylow,averagingjust0.9%overthepast30years.

½ Themajorityofthecity’spurpose-builtrentalstockwasbuiltinthe1960sand1970sandisbadlyinneedofrenewal.

½ Nearly40%ofVancouverhouseholdsspendmorethan30%oftheirincomeonhousing.

½ Thesituationisevenmoreseriousforyounghouseholdsdecidingwheretosettledownandraiseafamily.Nearly50%ofhouseholdsheadedbypeopleundertheageof34spendmorethan30%oftheirincomeonhousing.

TheTaskForcerecognizesthathomelessness,lowincome

andsupportivehousingcontinuetobecriticalissuesfacing

Vancouver.TheCity’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy

2012–2021 outlinesanapproachtoaddressingtheseissues

andsignificantprogressisbeingmade(e.g.thecompletion

of563newsocialandsupportivehousingunitssince2010

andanadditional1,411unitsalreadycommittedorunder

construction).

Vancouveralsoneedsarangeofhousingoptionsforits

middleandmoderateincomeearners–thosemaking

between$21,500(singleincomehousehold)andup

to$86,500peryear(forbothsingleanddualincome

households).Formanyofthesehouseholds,incomesare

toolowtobeabletoaffordthecostsofownership.Low

vacancyratesandrisingrentalratesmeanthatevenfinding

affordablerentalhousingisachallenge.Peopleandfamilies

inthisincomerangehavebeenthemainfocusofthework

oftheTaskForce.

HowVancouveritesdecidetoaddressthesechallenges

isfundamentaltothefutureofourcity.Shouldwesimply

letthemarketdecidewhatkindofcitywewantandwho

getstolivehere?Orshouldwetaketheactionsneeded

toincreasethediversityofaffordablehousingoptions,

andmaintainthevibrancy,diversityandeconomic

competitivenessofourcity?ThisTaskForcebelieves

thatwecanandshouldtakeactiontocreatemore

affordablehousingforfuturegenerationsinVancouver.

the chAllenge


Housing and HoMelessness sTraTegy: Housing conTinuuM

shelters non-market rental (social Housing)

condossros Purpose -built rental

other ownership

supportive Housing

secondary suites

rented condos

ending homelessness rental housing ownership

Mayor’s Task Force on Housing affordability

’’John Tylee DirectorofPolicy&Research,VancouverEconomicCommission.

“Vancouver’seconomydependsonattractingandretainingtalent.Affordablehousingofalltypes,includingmarketrental,isessentialtotheCity’scurrentandfuturecompetitiveness.


07

enhAncing AffordAbility

Onewaytoimprovehousingaffordabilityistoincreasesupplyandcompetitionbetweenhousingproviders.Manyoftheinitiativesidentifiedinthisreportseektoincreasethesupplyofhousingthatcanbedeliveredatalowerpricepoint.Lowerdevelopmentcostsonlytranslateintolowerpricesandrentswhenthereissufficientsupplyandcompetitioninthemarketplace.

CurrentlyinVancouver,housingexistsintwo

majorforms–singlefamilyhomesonsinglelots

andapartmentbuildings(largelystrataandsome

purpose-builtrental).Thereislittleinthecontinuum

ofhousingbeyondthesetwoformstomeettheneeds

offamiliesandsmallerhouseholds.Anumberofthe

initiativesproposedinthisreportspeaktotheneedto

broadenthechoicesofhousingform,achievegreater

densityand,byextension,increasethediversityand

affordabilityofhousing.

Ourregulatoryframeworkdoesnotallowmanyof

thechoicesinhousingformfoundacrossthecountry

andevenwithintheMetroregion.Rowhouses,

stackedtownhousesandotheroptionssuchas

lanewayhousingthataddresstheneedsoffamilies

toaccessgreenspaceathomeandliveincomplete

neighborhoodsareapriorityidentifiedbytheTask

Force.AcrossVancouver,therearemanyareaswhere

thisdiversityofhousingtypeswouldbeagoodfit

ifzoningweremorepermissive.

Similarly,increasingdensityinmixed-useareas

withanemphasisontransit-orienteddevelopment

providesmanybenefits,includinglowertransportation

costs,proximitytojobs,andeasyaccesstopublic

amenitiessuchaschildcare,schools,parks,aswellas

destinationssuchasshops,restaurantsandservices.

Otherinitiativesoutlinedinthereportseektoachieve

immediateandlong-termaffordabilitybyincreasing

rentalstock.Here,theCitycantakestepstolockin

affordabilityforthelongterm,usingbothfinancial

andregulatorytools.

TheviewoftheTaskForcewasthatsimplifying

land-useregulationswhereappropriate,and

facilitatingamoreflexibleandcreativedialogue

betweendevelopersandtheCitywillresultin

morehousingdiversitythatcanhelpsolveour

affordabilitychallenges.

tAsk force recommendAtion 01

increase suPPly and diVersiTy oF aFFordable Housing


09

density increases in appropriate locations create

important opportunities to enhance housing affordability

and diversity. The city should accelerate planning

programs that increase density in large developments

(e.g. Marine gateway, southeast False creek, east Fraser

lands) and transit-oriented locations, and those that

increase housing diversity in residential neighbourhoods,

including the creative use of underutilized city land, such

as streets. improving housing affordability and diversity

should be a primary focus of these planning initiatives.

increase housing choice in low density residential areas

TheReportfromtheRoundTableonBuildingFormand

Design(theGellerReport)recommendsincreasingthe

supplyofseveraldifferenttypesofhousingtobroadenthe

choices,especiallyforfamilieswithchildren.TheCityshould

implementzoningandregulatorychangestoencourage

thesehousingforms:

½ addingmoretransitionzones,similartoNorquay

NeighbourhoodCentre,thatscaledownfromhigh-density

housingneararterials,commercialcentresandtransithubs

toground-orientedmediumdensityhousing(e.g.stacked

townhouses,rowhouses,townhouses,etc.)inthetransition

zoneadjacenttosingle-familyneighbourhoods.

½ Identifyopportunitieswheredensificationthroughsuch

housingformsastownhouses,rowhousesorstacked

townhouses,mightbeappropriateinlow-density

residentialareas.

½ Createopportunitiesforsecondarysuitesandlaneway

housesinsuchatransitionzone,andelsewhere,toensure

thatnewmedium-densityhousingcontributestooptimizing

affordabilityforrentersandhomeowners.

½ Incentivizeaminimumstandardofsuite-readystatus

inallnewground-orientedhousing(single-familyhomes,

medium-densityhousingwhereappropriate),makingit

easierforhomeownerstoaddsecondarysuites.

increase supply in locations with good transit links

TheCity’sSecuredMarketRentalHousingPolicyrecognizes

theimportanceofrentalhousingintransit-orientedlocations.

TheCityshouldaccelerateplanstoincreasedensityintransit-

orientedlocationsandrelatedneighbourhoodcentres,witha

focusonachievinghousingaffordabilityandfamilyhousing

(afocuson3+bedroomunits).Thisworkshouldbuildon

theCambieCorridorPlan,whichrequires20%market

rentalhousingforanyrezoningalongthecorridor.

a creative inclusionary housing policy

TheTaskForcerecognizesthatdevelopingnewcomplete

communitiesonlargesitesprovidesperhapsthebest

opportunitytoincreasethesupplyofaffordablehousing.

TheTaskForcediscussedanumberofopportunitiesto

enabledifferentkindsofhousinginlargedevelopments

throughpartnershipsbetweentheprivatesector,non-profit

sectorandtheCity.Amorecreativeinclusionaryhousing

policyformajorprojectsshouldbedevelopedtoensurethat

developersofnewneighbourhoodsarerequiredtoprovide

eitherrentaloraffordableownershipunitsinamixthatbetter

matchesthebroadneedsofthecommunity,particularlylow

andmoderateincomehouseholds.

TheCity’scurrentinclusionaryzoningpolicyrequires

developerstosetaside20%oflandforaffordablehousing.

Whilethisapproachcreatestheopportunityforaffordable

housingdevelopment,overthepastdecadesithasdepended

onseniorgovernmentfundingtobuildtheaffordablehousing

units,fundingwhichoftenhasnotmaterialized.Inthecontext

ofthecurrentfiscalclimateatseniorlevelsofgovernment,

adifferentapproachwillbeneededtodeliveraffordability.

01 increase suPPly and diVersiTy oF aFFordable Housing

Task Force recoMMendaTions


identify underutilized land for creative housing options

There:THINKHousingIdeasCompetitiondrewanumber

ofsubmissionsthatofferednewwaystousecitylandfor

developingnewaffordablehousing.Theproposalfor

“ThinStreets”,whichwonaTaskForceJuryaward,provides

awaytointroducemodesthousingdevelopments,suchas

duplexesandrowhouses,intosingle-familyneighbourhoods

byusingunderutilizedcitystreets.TheCityshouldidentify

opportunitiesforaThinStreetspilotproject,ideallythrough

theexistingneighbourhoodplanningprocesses,toenable

thisproposal.

other ideas for increasing housing supply and diversity of affordable housing:

Expandopportunitiesforhousingpartnerships,focusing

onentitiesthathavepotentialorunderusedland(e.g.

churches,healthcarefacilities,post-secondaryinstitutions,

etc).ContinuetobuildontheworkoftheCity’sSecure

MarketRentalHousingPolicythatincentivizesconstruction

ofpurpose-builtrentalunitsthroughadensitybonus,DCL

waiver,parkingrelaxationsandotherregulatorytools.

Explorethefeasibilityofenablingthedevelopmentof

rentalhousingwithincertainlimitedareascurrentlyzoned

forindustrialuse,suchasthewesternedgeoftheFalse

CreekFlatsthatisadjacenttoasignificantnumberof

publicamenitiesaswellasrapidtransit.TheTaskForce

acknowledgedthestrongCouncilcommitmentand

regionalpolicyinplacetoprotecttheviabilityofexisting

job-producingspace.However,therearesomelocations,

wellservedbytransit,whichcouldcontributetotheviability

oftheindustriallandsbyprovidingaplaceforaffordable

rentalhousingtargetedtopeoplewhoworkorstudynearby.

Asabalancetothisapproach,theTaskForcesuggested

thattheCityshouldalsoexploreopportunitiestointroduce

appropriateemploymentspaceinresidentialareasthatare

ontheedgesofcommercialandindustrialareas.

Beopenmindedandexpandtheopportunitieswhere

newhousingsupplycanbesituated:buildontopof

existingbuildings(includingcivicfacilities);lookinto

conversionsofunderusedparkinglotsorthedevelopment

ofsecondarysuitesfromancillaryandstoragespacein

existinghousingstock.

Acrossalloftheseoptions,takeintoaccountfamilyneeds

andotherconsiderationssuchasaccessforpeoplewhoface

mobilityissuesandotherchallenges.GivenVancouver’s

changingdemographics,theCityshouldconsidersetting

atargetofunitsinlargenewdevelopmentsthatarefully

accessibleforpersonswithdisabilities.

affordability considerations:

Thisrecommendationhaspotentialforasignificantimpact

onhousingsupplyandaffordability.Itwillincreaserow

housesandtownhousesforfamilies,includesecondary

suitesinmoretypesofhousingandcouldenable

opportunitiesforsocialhousingandlong-termaffordable

marketrentalhousing.

11


enHance THe ciTy’s and THe coMMuniTy’s caPaciTy To deliVer aFFordable renTal and social Housing


13

create a new city-owned entity to deliver affordable

rental and social housing by using city lands. Mobilize

the community to support affordable housing through

community land trusts and alternative financing models.

enhance the city’s capacity to deliver affordable rental and social housing

TheCity’sconsiderablelandassetsareacriticalcomponent

inaddressingtheaffordabilitychallengeandoverthe

last50years,citylandhasplayedakeyroleinenabling

affordablerentalhousing.TheCityshouldleaselandata

nominalfeetofacilitatethecreationofnewsocialhousing

andnewaffordablerentalhousing.City-ownedlandshould

bebroughtforwardtotestthelevelofaffordabilitythatcan

becreatedbythenon-profitandprivatesectorsworking

togetherusingCitysites.Thesesitesshouldpreferablybe

smallerandmedium-sizedsites,whicharezonedandready

togo,enablingaquickerdeliveryofunits.Afair,openand

transparentprocessshouldbeusedtoidentifypotential

non-profitandprivatepartners.Basedontheexperience

oftheShortTermIncentivesforRental(STIR)program,

andwiththeadditionalcontributionoflandatnominal

costthroughalong-termlease,theTaskForcefeelsthat

theCitycanuserigorouscriteriatoevaluateproposalsand

partnershipsdesignedtoachievesustainedaffordability.

Followingafullevaluationoftheunitsandlevelof

affordabilityachieved,theCitycouldestablishanongoing

programforcommitmentoflandthroughlongtermleases

forthecreationofsocialandaffordablerentalhousing.

ItisencouragingtoseethattheCityhasalreadybegun

anRFEOIforsixsitesofcity-ownedhousingtobeleased

fornewaffordablehousing,andshouldcontinuethis

processinthefuture,withadjustmentsbasedonthe

firstRFEOIasneeded.

TheCityshouldbeproactiveinmeetingtheaffordable

housingneedsofthecommunitybycreatinganewCity-

ownedhousingentitytofacilitatedevelopmentofsocial

andaffordablehousing.ACity-ownedentity,suchasa

HousingAuthority,couldenabletheCitytodeliveronits

objectivesforsocialandaffordablerentalhousing.While

ultimatelyresponsibletoCityCouncil,itwouldbegoverned

byitsownboardwithaclearmissionstatementtodevelop

socialandaffordablehousingwithinacertainrangeof

affordability.Therearenumerousexamplesofmunicipalities

acrossCanadathathaveestablishedsuchanentity(Metro

Vancouver,Edmonton,Winnipeg,andTorontoforinstance).

Thisentityshouldbeanarm’s-lengthsubsidiarycompany

thatwouldbegivenamandateandauthoritytoactasa

catalystandfacilitatorforaffordablehousingdevelopment

onbehalfoftheCity.Theauthorityshouldhavetheabilityto:

½ respondnimblytoemergingpartnershipopportunities

withtheprivatesector,non-profitsocietiesandsenior

governments.

½ consolidatealloftheCity’snon-markethousingportfolio

underoneadministrativeentity,streamliningand

standardizingoperations.

½ channelCitycapitalgrantstonot-for-profithousing

societiesforprojectssupportingaffordablehousing

anddecreasinghomelessness,and

½ usetheskillsofanexperiencedBoardtooptimizethe

returnontheCity’sinvestmentinthiscriticalareaof

publicpolicy.

Mobilizing the community for affordable Housing a community land Trust

Acommunitylandtrustisanon-profitcorporationcreated

toacquireandholdlandoverthelongtermforthebenefit

ofacommunityandprovidesecureaffordableaccessto

02 enHance THe ciTy’s and THe coMMuniTy’s caPaciTy To deliVer aFFordable renTal and social Housing


mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 201214

landandhousingforcommunityresidents.Asuccessful

modelleveragesdonationsoflandandfundingfrom

privateandnon-profitpartnerstostimulatethecreation

ofaffordablehousingoptions.Itwouldbemanagedbyan

independentboardofdirectors.TheCity’srolewouldbeto

removeobstaclestothesuccessofsuchanapproach,offer

policysupportasneeded,andpartnerwhenappropriate.

Typicallyalandtrustcouldacquireandassembleland,

andalsobethebeneficiaryofrevenuestreamsgenerated

bytheselectivesaleoflandandassets. alternative financing

ThedeliveryofaffordablehousinginVancouvercould

befurtherenhancedbythedevelopmentofnew

financingmechanisms.Newandevolvingmodelsshould

beinvestigatedforcommunity-basedfinancingagencies

foraffordablehousingthroughpartnershipswithnon-

profits,foundations,unions,religiousorganizationsand

philanthropicindividualstodeterminepossibleapplication

withinVancouver.Typicallythesepartnershipsprovide

long-termandinexpensivecapitaltocreatenewhousing,

toundertakesubstantiverenovationsofexistingstock,

orprovidere-mortgagingoptions.Suchpartnershipsact

asethicalinvestmentvehicles,committedtoproviding

financingatlessthanmarketreturnsfornon-profits

undertakingaffordablehousingprojects.

other ideas that could enhance the city’s and community’s capacity to deliver affordable rental and social housing:

Reviewandidentifyanyregulatorybarrierstothecreation

ofnewco-housingdevelopments,particularlythosegeared

towardsseniors.

LobbythroughtheBigCityMayor’sCaucusandUBCM

forfederalandprovincialtaxincentivestoenablethe

developmentofnewmarketrentalhousingandadvocate

tofederalandprovincialgovernmentsforsufficient

fundingforsocialhousing.UsetheCity’sinfluence

toworkwithseniorgovernments,pensionfunds,

privatefinancialinstitutions,privatedevelopersand

non-profitsocietiestosecuresourcesoflowinterest

financeandcapitalforaffordablehousing.Work

withimmigrantandinvestorcommunitiestoexplore

waystochannelaportionofoverseasandinward

investmenttowardcreatingaffordablehousing


½ LeasingCity-ownedlandatnominalratesremoves

akeybarriertohousingaffordabilityintheCity–

thehighpriceofland.

½ AnewhousingentitywithanexpertBoard,charged

withmanagingandcreatingsocialandaffordablerental

housing,couldbuildunitsforresidentsacrossabroad

incomerange.

½ Acommunitylandtrustcouldenablethecreationof

affordablerentalandleaseholdownershipoptionsfor

moderate-incomehouseholdsasasupplementto

Cityandothergovernmentefforts.

½ Acommunity-based-financingagencycouldprovidelower

borrowingratesthatcouldlowerprojectcosts.Accessto

affordablefinancingisacriticalelementofenablingnew

affordablehousingandinvestmentintoexistingunits.

15


ProTecT exisTing social and aFFordable renTal Housing and exPlore oPPorTuniTies To renew and exPand THe sTock


17

Protect existing non-profit, social and co-operative

housing that may be under threat and continue to protect

the affordable market rental stock using the community

planning process to focus on strategies to repair, renew

and expand the stock neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

03 ProTecT exisTing social and aFFordable renTal Housing and exPlore oPPorTuniTies To renew and exPand THe sTock

Protect existing non-profit, social and co-operative housing

Replacinglostaffordablehousingcanbeexpensive

comparedtothecostoffixingitup.TheCityshould

proactivelyworkwithpartnerstofindwaystoenable

upgradingtheaffordablehousingstockbeforethese

buildingsfallintodisrepairanddemolitionbecomesthe

onlyoption.ThemajorityoftheCity’s24,000social,

non-profitandcooperativehousingunitswerebuiltduring

the1960s,1970sand1980s.Manyofthesehousingprojects

aresubsidizedbyfederalgovernmentoperatingagreements,

withthemajorityoftheseagreementsscheduledtoexpire

by2025.

Aconsiderableamountofthishousing(suchasSouth

FalseCreekandChamplainHeights)wasdevelopedon

Citylandunder60yearleases.Manyoftheseproperties

havelessthan25yearsremainingontheirleases,a

challengingsituationasmostfinancialinstitutionswill

notfinancepropertiesthathavelessthan25yearsof

remainingleasetime.Thispreventsneededinvestment

byownersincapitalmaintenanceoftheirunitsand

buildings,thusfurtheracceleratingthedegradationof

thehousingstockandreducingthemarketabilityofthe

units.Thisissuehasbeencompoundedbybuilding

envelopefailureinsomeoftheseproperties.

Strategiesneedtobedevelopedthatdealwiththerenewal

ofthisimportantaffordablerentalhousingstock.Thekey

componentsofanapproachinclude:thecompletionofan

inventoryofallnon-profithousingbyageandconditionto

allowprioritizationofrenewal;examinationofthemeritsof

leaseextensionsandaforumforconsultationwithaffected

partiesthatfocusesonsolutions.

PartnershipmodelsinvolvingtheCity,thedevelopment

community,co-opsandnon-profithousingsocietiesthat

arenearingtheendoftheirmortgagesmayberequiredto

bothrenewoldstockandaddadditionalaffordablehousing

units.Thiscouldbeachievedinanumberofprojectsthrough

infillandcarefullyphasedredevelopment,whileworkingto

protectaffordability.



continue to protect the affordable market rental stock and explore opportunities to repair, renew and expand the stock through community plans

Usecommunityplansasanopportunitytoexploreways

torepair,renewandexpandtheCity’saffordablemarket

rentalhousingstockbytestingthefeasibilityofanumber

ofmaintenance,renovationandredevelopmentscenarios

inareaswhererateofchangeregulationscurrentlyapply

(e.g.RM,FM,andCD-1zones).Thescenarioswouldtypically

relyonthecreationofadditionalbuildingarea(density)

tofundreinvestmentorreconstructionoftherentalhousing

stock.Scenariostoexploreincludeupgradingandrepairing

existingunits,one-for-onereplacementwithnewrental

units,increasingtherentalstockwithmorethan

one-for-onereplacement,andimprovingaffordability

throughone-for-onereplacementwithsocialhousing.

RateofChangeRegulationswerefirstadoptedin1989in

responsetothelossofmorethan2000rentalunitsover

afive-yearperiodthroughdemolitionandconversionto

condominiums.Thecurrentrateofchangerequiresanynew

developmentonasiteofsixormorerentalunitstoreplace,

onaoneforonebasis,alloftherentalunits.Replacement

canbedoneeitheronoroff-site.Withoutthecurrentrate

ofchangepolicy,anestimated14,200unitswouldbeat

riskofredevelopmentby2019.

ThesuccessofRecommendation3willrelyonan

appropriatelyphasedrenewaloftheexistingrentalstock,

toavoiddisplacementoftenants,particularlylowerincome

households.ThedevelopmentofCommunityPlans,currently

underwayinfourdifferentcommunitiesacrossthecity,isan

opportunitytoexploretheseoptions.

Manyofthesehousingprojectsare

subsidizedbyfederalgovernment

operatingagreements,withthe

majorityoftheseagreements

scheduledtoexpireby2025.


Existingpurpose-builtrentalstockisanimportantsource

ofaffordabilityformoderateincomeresidents.Thechallenge

forthecityistofindwaystorenewandexpandthisstockin

awaythatwillminimizetheimpactoncurrenttenantsand

maintainaffordabilityoverthelongterm.

19


sTreaMline and creaTe More cerTainTy and clariTy in THe regulaTory Process, and iMProVe Public engageMenT


21

enhance certainty, efficiency and transparency of

approval processes and clarify regulations in order to

reduce development costs and enhance affordability.

04 sTreaMline and creaTe More cerTainTy and clariTy in THe regulaTory Process and iMProVe Public engageMenT Processes

Fast-track applications for affordable rental housing

Increasecertainty,efficiencyandtransparencyofthe

approvalprocessbystreamliningby-lawsandprocessing.

TheCityshouldbuildontheTaskForceQuickStart

recommendationstoprioritizeprojectsthatdelivergreater

affordability.Delaysthroughthedevelopmentprocesscan

addsignificantlytocostsandanexpeditedprocesscan

generateprojectsavings.

improve public consultation and engagement

Significanteffortsshouldbemadetodevelopsustained

publicsupportfortheeffortstocreatemoreaffordableand

socialhousing.Innovativeandinclusivestrategies,including

theuseofsocialmedia,place-basedpollingandinputalong

withvariousformsofdialogue,videoandprintmaterial,

shouldbeusedtoconveysocialobjectives,understand

publicopinionandbuildsupportforspecificinitiatives.

create more certainty in charges on new development

TheCityshouldconsiderrequestingaVancouverCharter

changetoallowdevelopmentcostleviestocoverawider

rangeofcommunityamenitiessuchasrecreationaland

culturalfacilities.ThiswouldreducetheCity’sreliance

onCommunityAmenityContributions(CAC)tofundthe

amenitiesrequiredtosupportgrowthintheCity.Inthe

absenceofsuchlegislativechange,theCityshouldestablish

fixedCACcontributionstofundsuchamenitieswherever

practicalastheclaritythisbringsinthedevelopment

approvalprocessissignificant.Amorestandardized

approachwouldprovidecertaintytothedevelopment

communityregardingprojectcosts,reducingrisksand

possiblyresultinginlowerfinancingcosts,thus

enhancingaffordability.

TheCityshouldexaminethebroaderuseof‘density

bonusing’thatallowsforprescribedincreasesindensity

withinanexistingzoningbylawinexchangeformeeting

specifiedconditions(e.g.providingaffordablehousingor

otherpublicbenefits).Theexpansionofdensitybonusing

shouldbeinalignmentwithneighbourhoodplans,and

wouldprecludetheneedforarezoningwhichsignificantly

increasestheuncertaintyandthetimeforprocessing

affordablehousingproposals.



AdopttheModelNationalEnergyCodeofCanada

forBuildings(MNECB)andgivedesignerstheoption

offollowingeitherASHRAEorMNECB.

Lookformethodstoremovebarrierstoinnovation

anddesign,butmaintainsafety,including:

½ Usingsprinklersasanalternativetosomeofthe

existingfiresafetyrequirements.

½ Encouragingmorehousinginlanewaysbyproviding

addressesforlanesandlookingintowaysofmaking

surefiretruckshaveaccess(includingconsideration

ofsmallervehicles).

½ Resolvinganyissuesarounddesignandcreation

ofstackedtownhomes.

½ Permittingtheuseofnewerbuildingmaterialsandusing

performance-basedratherthanprescriptiverequirements

whereappropriate.


Lowerdevelopmentcostsonlytranslateintolowerprices

andrentswhenthereissufficientsupplyandcompetition

inthemarketplace.Reducingdevelopmentcostswillnot

necessarilytranslatedirectlyintolowerhousepricesand

rentswithoutspecificmechanismstoensurethosesavings

arepassedontopurchasersandrenters.Itwill,however,lead

toagreatersupplyofabroaderrangeofhousingtypesand

allowmorehouseholdsandfamiliestoliveinVancouver.

other ideas to streamline and create more certainty and clarity in the regulatory process and improve public engagement processes:

DevelopaNEXUSPass-typesystemforapplicants

whohaveaproventrackrecordofsuccessfulprojects.

Thiscouldincludeallowingsuchapplicantstohire

third-partyconsultantstosign-offplansintheearly

stagesonanapplication.

ContinuetoupdateCityofVancouvertechnologyto

supportanefficientpermittingprocessandprovide

ongoingtrainingtoCitystaffandapplicantsonbylaws

andapprovalprocesses.

AmendtheVancouverBuildingBylawforbothnewand

retrofittedbuildingstocodifyalternativesolutionsinregular

usethatarecurrentlyresolvedonacase-by-casebasis.

Thiswouldimproveprocessingtimesforbuildingpermits

aswellasreducethecostofengagingprofessionalservices

tosupportthepermitapplication.

23

TheCityshouldbuildontheTaskForceQuickStartrecommendationstoprioritizeprojectsthatdelivergreateraffordability.

wHen asked abouT THe rePorT’s recoMMendaTions:

city involvement

Support for proactive city involvement in managing

Vancouver’s housing market was reported at 84% across

all neighbourhoods,with100%supportinArbutus-Ridge,

Dunbar-Southlands,Fairview,Grandview-Woodland,

Kensington-CedarCottage,Kerrisdale,Killarney,Marpole,

Oakridge,SouthCambieandVictoria-Fraserview.

Housing needs

Survey respondents reported freehold townhousing/

row housing, 3+ bedroom market rental, and laneway

housing to be the three most-needed accommodation

types in their neighbourhoods. Byneighbourhood,

townhouses/rowhouseswerereportedasneeded

inDowntown,Dunbar-Southlands,Hastings-Sunrise,

Kerrisdale,Kitsilano,MountPleasant,Renfrew-Collingwood,

Shaughnessy,Victoria-Fraserview,andtheWestEnd.

Theneighbourhoodsreportinghighestneedfor

3+bedroommarketrentalpropertieswereFairview,

Grandview-Woodland,Kerrisdale,Kitsilano,MountPleasant,

RenfrewCollingwood,RileyPark,Strathcona,and

Victoria-Fraserview.

Anumberofotheraccommodationtypeswerehighlighted

asurgentlyrequiredinthegeneralcommentssectionsofthe

surveys.Thesewereco-operativehousing,live/workspaces,

sharedequityhousing,non-stratarowhousing,affordable

senioraccommodation,socialhousingandco-housing.

Increasing the provision of co-operative housing appeared

to have widespread support from many respondents.

Thesituationofseniorswasalsohighlighted,bothinterms

oftheneedforaffordablerentalpropertiesforretirees,

andalsotheproblemofarisingpropertytaxburden

onseniorswhowishedtostayintheirownhomes.

FollowingthereleaseoftheTaskForce’sInterimReportinJune,aPlaceSpeakonlinesurveywasestablishedtoallowmembersofthepublictoprovidefeedbackontheReport’srecommendations.Thesurveywasopenfortwomonths,and151surveyswerecollectedfromlocalresidents,providingasmallsnapshotofhousingaffordabilityopinionsinVancouver.Thefollowingisasummaryofthesurveyresults;completesurveyresultsareincludedintheappendix.

24

PlAcesPeAk housing tAsk force survey rePort


25

using city land

There was strong support that some of the city-owned

land should be targeted for middle income ($21,500-

$86,500) housing, with 83% of respondents reporting

strong/moderate agreement.Therewasminimalvariation

acrossneighbourhoods.Therewereanumberofcomments

regardingthepricebandsandcut-offsformoderatehousing

reportedinthesurveys,withsomerespondentsconsidering

theuppercut-offlow.Morethanonceitwasmentionedthat

afamilywithchildrenon$86,000wasundersignificantly

morefinancialpressurethanano-childrenfamilyonthe

sameincome.

developing around transit hubs

There was 85% strong/moderate agreement reported for

housing developments to be identified around transit hubs,

withminimalneighbourhoodvariation.Commentswere

maderegardingbetterbikeandwalkingprovisions,live-work

spaces,andcreativeintegrationofhousingandamenities

alsobeingimportant.

requiring moderate income housing in new developments

There was 80% strong/moderate agreement reported

across respondents for requiring new housing developments

to provide more moderate-income housing.Therewerealso

suggestionsfromrespondentsthattargetinghousingforkey

serviceworkers,suchasnursesandfirstresponders,should

beconsidered.

Family accommodation requirements

There was approximately 78% agreement reported in

favour of a requirement for new developments to include

3+ bedroom housing in their provisions. Themostreported

interestinthisideawasinDunbar-Southlands,Fairview,

Hastings-Sunrise,Marpole,Oakridge,Renfrew-Collingwood,

RileyPark,Shaughnessy,Strathcona,Victoria-Fraserview,

WestPointGrey.

secondary suite readiness

78% of all respondents thought new housing should be

“suite ready”. Thisrecommendationwasmostfavoured

byrespondentsfromArbutus,Downtown,Grandview-

Woodland,Hastings-Sunrise,Kensington-CedarCottage,

Kerrisdale,Marpole,Oakridge,Renfrew-Collingwood,South

Cambie,andVictoria-Fraserview.Itwasleastfavouredby

respondentsreportingfromDunbar-Southlands,Fairview,

Killarney,RileyPark,ShaughnessyandWestPointGrey.

additional suggestions

Thesinglebiggestissueraisedregardingaffordable

accommodationinVancouverwastheperceivednegative

influenceofforeigninvestmentdrivingupprices.Concerns

werealsoexpressedthatdevelopersprioritisedprofitin

theirprovisionsandhadcreatedaglutofcondosand

luxuryhousingwhenmoremodesthousingwasthepriority.

Developmentandrentcontrolswerementioned.

Intermsoffuturedevelopmenttherewerecallsforrealism,

bothintermsofprivatespaceexpectations,aswellas

parkingprovisionrequirements.Therewereviewsexpressed

regardingtheimportanceofprotectingandimprovingpublic

greenspaceprovisionswithinthecity,soastoreducethe

needforprivategreenspaces.Itwasalsosuggestedthatthe

parkingrequirementprovisionsonnewdevelopmentswere

toohighandplacedanunnecessaryupwardpressureon

newpropertyprices.


Household income

Just over half of all respondents reported being from

households with an annual income of $21,500 – $86,500.

37%ofsurveyrespondentsreportedanannualhousehold

incomeofmorethan$86,500,andinthelowerincome

bracket,Dunbar-SouthlandsandGrandview-Woodland

yieldedsignificantnumbersreportinghousehold

incomesbelow$54,000.

Type of Housing

Market rental and home ownership were the typical

reported tenures with over 80% of respondentsacross

Vancouverfallingequallyintooneorotherofthese

groups.Co-operativelivingwasreportedat6.5%.

Reportedaccommodationsizesrangedfrombachelor-

typesuitestohousesof+3bedrooms,withover50%

ofrespondentsreporting1-2bedroomaccommodation.

affordability of accommodation

Over 46% of all survey respondents reported that 30%

or less of household income was spent on rent or a

mortgage,whileapproximately22%ofrespondents

reportedthattheywerespendingmorethan40%

oftheirhouseholdincomeonrentoramortgage.


Public consulTaTion and Feedback

who gave us feedback?

data sample

Intotal,publicopinionwasvoicedfromacross21

neighbourhoodsofVancouver,rangingfromWestPoint

GreytoKillarney.Reporteddemographicsrevealedanage

rangeof20+toover65,witha45:55maletofemalesplit.

The majority of respondents reported living in a two adult

household without children. Approximatelyaquarterof

respondentsreportedlivinginfamilieswithoneor

twochildren.

27

Winnerswereselectedbybothajurycomprisedofmembers

oftheMayor’sTaskForceonHousingAffordability,aswell

asbythepublicthroughonlinevoting.Injusttwoweeks,

8,000voteswerecastonline.

ThesubmissionswereevaluatedbytheJuryaccording

tothefollowingcriteria:

affordability: forlowtomiddle-incomehouseholdsin

Vancouver,definedasanindividualhouseholdincome

of$21,500toacombinedhouseholdincomeof$86,500.

green space:mustmaintainorenhancepublicaccessto

greenspace,andshouldadvancecityobjectivesrelated

toGreenestCity2020goals.

Public land:Anyideaspremisedontheuseofpublicland

mustincludetheabilityforpubliccontrolandownership

toremaininplace.

neighbourhood integration: shouldfindwaysofcreatively

connectingwithnatural,historical,andculturalelements

ofneighbourhoods.

community needs: meetthehousingneedsofpriority

groups:

½ lower-incomesinglesandcouplesneedingsuitablerental

accommodation;

½ singlesandcouplesstrugglingtobuytheirfirsthome;

½ familieswithchildrenwhowanttoliveinthecity;and

½ empty-nestersandseniorswishingtodownsizeand

remainintheirneighbourhood.

Financial viability: Ideasshouldbedeliverablewithout

thesaleofpubliclandorfinancialincentives,andenable

long-termaffordabilitywithoutgovernmentsubsidy.

Feasibility:Proposalsfornewformsorsitesofaffordable

housingcanbeinitiatedandbuiltwithinthreeyears,with

preferencegiventothosethatrequire18monthsorless.

TheTaskForceJurywasimpressedwiththenumberof

submissionsandtheparticipationintheonlinevoting.

Whilefewoftheideastouchedonallofthecriteria,there

wasagoodrangeoflargeandsmallscaleproposals–many

ofwhichcouldplayaroleinhelpingtoimplementtheTask

Force’srecommendations.Pickingawinnerineachcategory

waschallengingbecausetherewereseveralideasthatwere

verygoodorsimilarinnature.Inreviewingtheresults,we

arefocusingonthekindsofsubmissionsthatweremade

andwaysinwhichmanycanbemovedforwardtoward

implementationtohelpachievetheCity’sgoals.

re:think housing An oPen ideAs comPetition

InMay2012theCityofVancouverlaunchedanopenideascompetitiononaffordablehousingcalledre:THINKHousing.Duringatwomonthperiod,closeto70applicationsweresubmittedbothlocallyandfromcountriesasdiverseastheNetherlands,Turkey,theUK,Ireland,Austria,Hungary,theUnitedStates,Australia,Singapore,andMexico.

recoMMendaTions FroM THe Jury

alan boniface // nathan edelson // Mark guslits // olga ilich // ken kwan


Wefoundthatmostideasdemonstratedoneormore

ofthefollowingcharacteristics:

½ Creativeuseofpubliclands

½ Innovativeinfillinexistingneighbourhoods

½ Buildingoverexistingdevelopment

½ Alternativeformsofbuildingmanagement

½ Buildingwithdifferentkindsofmaterials

½ Reducingparkingandstorage

Thefollowingisalistofsomeoftheproposalsthatillustrate

theseattributes,andrecommendationsformovingthem

forwardinalignmentwiththeTaskForce’sfinalreport.

creaTiVe use oF Public lands

Itischallengingtocreateaffordablehousinginnew

developmentduetothehighcostsoflandinVancouver.

Thefollowingsubmissionsproposedusingpubliclands,

notonlytoreducehousingcosts,buttoprovideother

importantcommunityamenitiesincludinggreenspace,

foodsecurityandotherservices.

#23 Thin streets: Transformingstreetsintohousingsites

(Jury’sWinner–seebelow)

#37 affordable Housing and Heritage retention:

delamont Park: Infill,heritageretentionandcommunity

spacesalongaportionofaformerCPRrightofway

(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#52 back to school: Developinghousingonornear

schoolgrounds

#111 neighbourhood, affordable housing, green Park:

DevelopinginSouthFalseCreekoverthestreetcarline

along6thAve

next steps

Itissuggestedthatapilotprojectforthe‘ThinStreets’

proposalbeconsideredaspartoftheongoingcommunity

planscurrentlytakingplace.ThinStreetswaschosenas

oneofthreewinningsubmissionsbythejuryduetoits

abilitytobereplicatedacrossthecity,providenewhousing

optionsthatfitwithinsingle-familyneighbourhoods,and

bepartneredwithCityinitiativesalreadyunderway,suchas

the‘StreetstoParks’programtakingplaceinsomeofthe

communityplans.ThelandnecessaryfortheThinStreets

proposalisownedbytheCity,intheformofright-of-ways,

makingitmorefeasibleforprojectdeliverythanother

proposals.

Considerationshouldalsobegiventorequestsfromthe

SchoolBoardorneighboursseekingtodevelopaffordable

familyhousingonornearexistingschoolsgrounds.Over

time,staffshouldalsoreviewthelikelyyieldforaffordable

housingassociatedwithsomeofthespecificareasidentified

inthere-THINKHousingcompetitionincludingDelamont

Park,otherareasalongtheformerCPRRightofWayand

FalseCreekSouth,andreportbacktoCouncilonwhether,

andifsowhen,communityplanningcouldbeinitiated

tofullyexploretheseopportunities.

29

innoVaTiVe inFill in exisTing neigHbourHoods

Thereweremanyproposalstogentlyincreasedensitiesin

singlefamilyneighbourhoods,rangingfromnewdesignsof

buildingstocreativedivisionsofexistinglots.Thediversity

ofideasprovidesarangefortheCitytodrawfromtoenable

targetedformsofdevelopmentthatprovideaffordabilityand

innovativebuildingform.Theseinclude:

#27 Human space: density for community and the

socio-ecological neighbourhood:Usingsidelotstocreate

sharedequityandenableadditionstosingle-familyhomes

(Jury’sWinner-seeabove)

#112 Three degrees of Freedom:locationstofocus

transit-orienteddevelopment(People’sChoiceWinner)

#50 (not) in My back yard: full-sizeddwellingunitunder

courtyard(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#102 courtyard Housing:twohouseson33ftlot;shared

courtyard/watersystems(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#115 The Missing Typologies: Feesimplerowhouse&

33ftlotsidebysideduplex(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#87 urban boardwalk:InfillalongformerCPRrightofway

#20 House idea:foursmallfactorybuiltmodularhouses

on33ftlot

#36 Think small: fourunitsona45x50ftlotinRM-4district

#49 Z House: Zshapedpartywall;sixdwellingunitson33ftlot

#58 re:THink inFill: Keepexistingsinglefamilyhouse;

permitinfillunitonRT-233ftlot

next steps

TheCityshouldreviewtheproposedideasformoderate

increasesindensitiesinexistingneighbourhoods,including

neighbourhoodswherecommunityplansareunderway,

andreportbacktoCounciloutliningthepossibleyieldof

affordablehousing,resourcesrequired,andanyregulatory

changesneeded.Oftheseideas,#27HumanSpace,won

thejuryawardforVibrantNeighbourhoods,PrivateSpace

becauseofitsproposaltousesidelotsforsharedequity,

enablinghomeownerstoinvestinenergyimprovements

andexpansionsofexistinghomeswhilemaintaining

neighbourhoodcharacter.Severalotherswarranted

HonourableMentionfromthejuryastheyuniquely

addressedhousingneedsonalocalscale.Alongwith

astaffanalysis,therecouldalsobeanopportunityto

incorporatesomeoftheseproposalsintoworkdoneon

theTaskForce’srecommendationsforTransitionzones.


building oVer exisTing deVeloPMenT

Itischallengingtoassemblelandforaffordablehousing,

especiallyonsitesthatarewellservedbyrapidtransit.

Therewereseveralproposalstobuildoverexisting

development.SomeoftheseareoverSkyTrainlines;

othersoverstreetsorheritagebuildings.TheTaskForce

isconcernedthatwhatappearstobe“free”landwillface

highcostsforconstructiontoaccommodateservices,

seismicandparkingrequirements.However,suchlocations

couldputmoreworkerswithineasyaccesstojobs,enhance

neighbourhoodcentresandprovidedensityneededtohelp

conserveheritagebuildings.

#56 bridge Housing: Usingdensitybonusingtodevelop

overexistingbuildings(Jury’sWinner-seebelow)

#14 stitch city: Linearhousingovertransitandarterials

#24 captain Helmet: Buildingovertransit,parkinglot

andarterials

#53 Viaduct Village:BuildingoverViaducts

#85 Vangate:BuildingoverSkyTrainlines

next steps

TheCityshouldinitiatediscussionswithTransLinktosee

whethertherearerealisticopportunitiestopilothousing

developmentaboveaportionofoneoftheguideways–

especiallynearSkyTrainStationsthatcouldyieldtransit-

orienteddevelopment.Thejurychose‘BridgeHousing’

asoneofthethreewinnersduetoitsfocusonmedium-

densityadditionstoexistingstructures,whichcould

increasehousingaroundtransithubswhilepreserving

thesocialandculturalfabricofexistingcommunities.

Althoughtherearechallengesfromaconstruction

perspective,theproposalincludesregulatorychange

withintheCity’sscope,suchasdensitybonusing.

Considerationshouldbegiventoproposalsfrom

privatedevelopersonacase-by-casebasistobuild

overotherexistingstructuresfollowingany

opportunitiesidentifiedbyTransLink.

building wiTH diFFerenT kinds oF MaTerials or MeTHods

Therehavebeensignificantbreakthroughsintheuseof

containers,concreteandwoodproductswhenbuilding

multi-unithousing.Someofthesecansignificantlyreduce

thecostsoflabourand/ormaterialsinconstruction;

othershaveresultedingreaterenergyefficiencyand

loweroperatingcosts.Manyoftheseoptionshavebeen

successfullytriedinothercitiesandcanbereadilyapplied

onceregulationsareadjusted;othersareinnovative

andneedtobetestedinVancouver.Thosethatare

successfulmayleadtonewindustrialmethodsthatcould

beproducedaspartofouremerginggreeneconomy.

re:THINKHousingsubmissionsthatinvolvedusing

differentformsofmaterialsincluded:

#83 community condos: Containerhousingontemporary

sites(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#76 cargo Park: ContainerhousingnearCityHall

(People’sChoiceWinner)

#16 going Massive:Usingtimbermassivebuildingmaterials

#63 kits Point:ModularhousingatKitsPoint

#93 existenxe Maximum: Tallanddeepunitsself-built

overtime

#108 Passivhaus: energy-efficientwoodprefabhouses

next steps

TheCityshouldreviewtheproposedideasforusing

newmaterialsandconstructionmethodsandreport

backtoCounciloutliningthefeasibilityoftheiruseinnew

affordablehousingdevelopments.Thisshouldincludean

analysisofhowthevariousmaterialsimpactaffordability,

aswellasoptionsforpilotprojectswithintheCity.

alTernaTiVe ForMs oF building ManageMenT

Withhousingpricesoutofreachforagrowingnumber

ofpeople,thereisamovetowardscreativeoptionsofhome

ownershipandbuildingmanagement.Securityoftenure,

accesstosharedspaceandtheabilitytopreventlandvalue

speculationareconsideredaspreferableattributesbymany

whodonothavethefinancialabilityforoutrightownership.

Variousformsofnon-marketmanagement,including

co-housing,weresubmittedthroughthere:THINKHousing

project.Itisimportanttonotethattwoofthefourpeople’s

choiceawardswenttoco-housingprojects.Someofthe

re:THINKhousingsubmissionsthatinvolvedalternative

formsofbuildingmanagementinclude:

#38 self-Managed low-income Housing: Trainingaddicts

inrecoverytoconstructandmanagetheirownhomes

(Jury’sHonorableMention)

#70 co-Housing with a Twist: Co-housing(common

ownershipofhousing(People’sChoiceWinner)

#89 Home Together: Regulatorychangestoenable

Co-operativeCo-housing(People’sChoiceWinner)

#65 smart sHare housing: Twounitssharekitchen,

diningandlivingrooms

next steps

TheCityshouldreviewtheregulatoryframeworkaround

co-housingandco-operativesandidentifyanybarriersto

enablingthesetypesofdevelopments,aswellashowto

achieveaffordability.AspartoffutureRFEOIsforlong-term

leasesforCityland,theCityshouldconsiderincluding

co-housingorself-managedhousingprojectsinrequests

fornewaffordablehousingprojects.

exPanding coMMuniTy aMeniTies and reducing Parking & sTorage

Thedeliveryofnewcommunityamenitiesiscrucialto

enablingstrong,vibrantneighbourhoodsthroughout

Vancouver.Withstrategicincreasesindensity,particularly

alongarterials,thereisagrowingimportancetodeliver

communityamenitiesthatareaccessibletopeoplewho

donotliveinsingle-familyhomesthathaveaccessto

large,openprivatespaces.Severalre:THINKproposals

werepremisedonaffordabilitythroughamoreinnovative

approachtodeliveringcommunityamenitiesinnew

developments.Theserangedfromreductioninparking

andstoragespace,increasingcourtyardandshared

publicspaces,andenablingmoresharedutilities

andappliances.Someoftheseincluded:

½ #57 VibrenT city:Amalgamatecommunitybenefits

onpublicland

½ #94 Vancouver department of social economics:

Sharingsocialbenefitstoenablelowerhousingcosts

½ #114 smaller Footprint: Sharingappliances,tools,

cars,bikes,andotheritems

next steps

TheCityshouldcontinuetoencourageinnovativeideas

thatimproveaffordabilitythroughsharingofamenities,

vehiclesandappliances,aswellasseekoutopportunities

toreduceregulatoryrequirementsforparkingandstorage,

asappropriate.

conclusion

Re-THINKHousinghasresultedinasignificantnumberof

ideasthattheMayor’sTaskForceofHousingAffordability

juryandthegeneralpublichavefoundtobeworthyof

furtherconsideration.Severaloftheseideaslookpromising

andcouldbepursuedwithlittleifanyregulatorychange;

thosethathavecredibleproponentsandfinancialbacking

shouldbesupportedforimplementation.Othersmightyield

aconsiderableamountofaffordablehousing,butrequire

significantpublicinvestmentorregulatorychange,and

shouldbeassessedtodeterminewhetherandhowthey

mightbestbefacilitatedinatimelyway.Weencouragethe

Citytoactonthesuggestionsasoutlinedbythejury,and

tocontinuetorevisitthesubmissionsinthecomingyears

asawaytoinspirenewideasandsolutionsforaffordable

housinginthefuture.


33

Mayor’s Task Force Jury awards

building bold Public:

#56BridgeHousing–IanMcDonald,Vancouver,Canada

Vibrant neighbourhoods Public:

#23ThinStreets:TurningAsphaltintoAffordableHousing

–ChristinaDeMarco,TedSebastian,CharlesDobson,

Vancouver,Canada

Vibrant neighbourhoods Private:

#27HumanSpace:DensityforCommunityandthe

Socio-EcologicalNeighbourhood–AndrewNeuman,

Vancouver,Canada

Honourable Mentions as selected by the Mayor’s

Task Force Jury:

#83CommunityCondos–TamiReilly,NorthVancouver,

Canada

#37AffordableHousingandHeritageRetention:

DelamontPark–SeanMcEwen,Vancouver,Canada

#38Self-ManagedLowIncomeHousing–LaneWaker,

Vancouver,Canada

#50InMyBackyard–d’ArcyJones,Vancouver,Canada

#102CourtyardHousing:ASustainableCommunityModel

onStandardPrivateLotsinVancouver–CherylWan,

RichmondHill,Canada

#115TheMissingTypologies–RobynFenton,

Vancouver,Canada

PeoPle’s cHoice awards

Atthesametimemorethan8000peopleparticipatedin

anonlinesurveytodeterminethePeople’sChoiceAwards.

building bold – private land

#112ThreeDegreesofFreedom:Atransit-orientedplan

todepressurizehousinginVancouver’ssemi-urbanareas

–TheodoreLimandStephanieLiou,Vancouver,BC

building bold – public land

#76Cargopark–DanielPetrocelli,KavoshMaleki,

ChrisCarrasquillaToronto,Ontario

Vibrant neighbourhoods

– private land

#89HomeTogether,fromtheVancouverAssociationof

CollectiveHousingEnthusiasts–AndrewMartin,Carolyn

Shaffer,SarahRossandTravisClyne

Vibrant neighbourhoods – public land

#70Co-HousingWithaTwist–JoanneLundandCommittee

To view the winning submissions, please visit:

www.rethinkhousing.ca/winners.php

re:THink Housing ideas coMPeTiTion winners

all oF THe recoMMendaTions in THis rePorT sPeak To THe need For THe ciTy To Take an innoVaTiVe and MulTi-Pronged aPProacH To solVing THe issue oF Housing aFFordabiliTy.

ThemembershipoftheTaskForceprovidedarich

sourceofadviceandexperiencefortheCityinitswork

inthisimportantareaofpublicpolicy.Thereisnoone

silver-bulletsolutionand,asisevident,achievingour

goalswillrelyonacombinationofeffectivelanduse

policies,innovativestructuresdesignedtoleverage

expertiseandfunding,andthereductionofunnecessary

expenseintheCity’sregulatoryprocess.

Thisreportprovidesablueprintforthepoliciesand

programstheCityshouldundertake,bothintheshort

andlong-term,toprotectexistingaffordablehousing

andunlockthecreationofnewaffordablesupply.

Giventhenegativeimpactsthatexpensivehousing

hasonourcity–whetheritisforcingpeopleinto

longercommutes,livinginsubstandardhousing,or

limitingeconomicopportunity–weurgeCityCouncil

tobeboldandembracetherecommendationswehave

laidout,withadeterminationtoseethemthrough.

Thehealth,prosperity,andfuturesuccessofourcity

dependsonit.

summAry And next stePs


Acknowledgements

TheworkbytheMayor’sTaskForceonAffordableHousing

couldnothavebeenmadepossiblewithoutsignificant

contributionsfromavarietyofCitystaff,external

organizationsandindividualexperts.TheTaskForcewould

firstliketorecognizetheworkdonebyCitystafftoprovide

researchandanalysisfortheTaskForce’sQuickStarts,

InterimandFinalreports:Dr.PennyBallem,CityManager;

DaveMcLellan,DeputyCityManager;andAbiBond,Dennis

Carr,EdnaCho,CoryDobson,DanGarrison,JimdeHoop,

DiannaHurfordandVickiPotterintheCity’sHousing,

Planning,andSocialPolicydepartments.

Theprocessofoperatingseveralworkinggroupsaswell

astheTaskForceJuryrequiredprofessionalfacilitation

andsageadvice.MembersoftheTaskForcewouldlike

torecognizetheskillfulfacilitationanddirectionfrom

ShaunaSylvesterandDr.LaurieAndersonoftheSFU

PublicSquare,aswellasSeanRuthen,whorepresented

AIBCasaprofessionaladvisertotheTaskForceJury

duringthere:THINKHousingIdeascompetition.

ProvidingoutsideadviceontheTaskForce’spolicy

foundationswerelocaldeveloperandarchitectMichael

Geller,whochairedtheRoundtableonBuildingFormand

Design,aswellasmembersoftheAcademicRoundtable,

whichincludedProf.ErickVillagomez,FounderandPrincipal,

MetisDesign(RoundtableChair);Prof.AnthonyPerl,Director

ofUrbanStudies,SFU;Prof.PennyGurstein,Directorof

SchoolofCommunityandRegionalPlanning,UBC;Prof.

LeslieVanDuzer,DirectoroftheSchoolofArchitectureand

LandscapeArchitecture;Prof.EmeritusMichaelA.Goldberg,

SauderSchoolofBusiness;Prof.EmeritusStanHamilton,

SauderSchoolofBusiness;Assoc.Prof.ElvinWyly,Assoc.

ProfGeographyDepartment,UBC;Dr.ThomasHutton,

ProfessorSchoolofCommunityandRegionalPlanning;

andAndrewYan,BingThomArchitects.TheTaskForce

wouldliketothankthemforvolunteeringtheirtimeand

experiencetoresearchandgatherinformationonhousing

trends,policies,andprogramsfortheFinalReport.

Engagingthepublicinadialogueonhousingissues

involvedabroadgroupoftalentedpartners,andincluded

communityplanevents,anIdeasJam,videos,anon-line

survey,aswellasthelaunch,promotion,andorganization

ofthere:THINKHousingIdeascompetition.TheTaskForce

wouldliketothankandrecognizecommunityplanners

LilRonalds,HollySovdiandAndrewPask;mediaand

onlinepartnersGenWhyMedia,DesignNerds,TruthFool

Communications,MeganSheldon,AdjacentMedia,

SpacingMagazine,PlaceSpeak,andGravit-eTechnologies;

communityeventhostsSteveBurgess,MorganBrayton,

NaomiSteinberg,ElderJoeCalder,ElderVictorGueirn,

andElderStanHumchitt;re:THINKRevealperformersShiral

Tobin,TyeeBridge,LukeBrocki,andEvelynLau;andevent

venuesTheHive,TheWISEHall,DenmanTheatre,Metro

Theatre,andRoundhouseCommunityCentre.Thesupport

oftheseorganizationsandindividualswasinstrumental

forengagingVancouveritesonwhataffordabilitymeansto

them.Overseeingthisworkwerethededicatedstaffinthe

City’sCorporateCommunicationsdepartment,including

MairiWelman,AmandaMitchellandTracyVaughan.

Finally,theTaskForcewouldliketothankallofthemembers

ofthepublicwhotookthetimetoprovidetheirthoughts,

ideasandopinionsonhousing,beitthroughattending

events,completingtheonlinesurvey,orsubmittingideas

forthere:THINKHousingcompetition,allofwhichthe

TaskForcereviewedandstudiedintheprocessof

completingitswork.

35

alan boniface

DialogConsultingArchitects

John d’eathe

RealEstateCounsellor

nathan edelson

42ndStreetConsulting

leonard george

Tsleil-WaututhNation

Marg gordon

BritishColumbiaApartmentOwners

&ManagersAssociation

Mark guslits

MarkGuslits&AssociatesInc.

colleen Hardwick (nystedt)

NewCityVentures

Howard Johnson

BaptistHousing

ken kwan

SUCCESS

Michael lewis

CanadianCentreforCommunityRenewal

raymond louie

CityCouncil

eric Martin

BosaDevelopmentCorporation

geoff Meggs

CityCouncil

karen o’shannacery

LookoutSociety

al Poettcker

UBCPropertiesTrust

Peter simpson

GreaterVancouverHomeBuilders’Association

bradford Tone

ToneManagement

The Task Force organized itself initially into smaller themed groups:

Finance:Long-termaffordability

Flow: Cityprocessesandpolicies

Form: Designflexibility

Partnership: Government,private,non-profit

andco-opsectors

AttherequestoftheCo-chairs,eachgrouplookedforone

ortwoinitiativesthatcouldsignificantlyimpactaffordability;

theyarelistedinthesectiononrecommendations.

APPendices

aPPendix 1: Task Force MeMbersHiP and work

Co-chairedbyVancouverMayorGregorRobertsonandformerprovincialcabinetministerOlgaIlich,whoservedasMinisterof

TourismandthenMinisterofLabourfromJune2005untilJune2008andwhohasbeeninvolvedinthehousingfieldformost

ofhercareer,withastrongfocusonthedevelopmentofsocialandfamilyhousing.TheTaskForcemembershipisdrawnfrom

anumberoforganizationsrelevanttothehousingsectorandincludes:architects,designers,builders,non-profitassociations,

apartmentowners,academics,andprivate,non-profitandpublicsectorpropertydevelopers.


Fast-track applications:

½ Fast-trackapplicationstobuildaffordablerentalorowned

housingforthosewithlowtomiddleincomesthroughan

interdepartmentalCitystaffteamwiththeabilitytoensure

theseapplicationsaregivenpriority.

use an inclusionary Housing Policy:

½ UsetheCambieCorridorasamodelfortheapplication

ofinclusionaryzoningtofast-trackthedevelopment

ofaffordablerentalhousingthrough:

» rapiddevelopmentofapracticalimplementation

strategyforinclusionaryzoningrelatedtorentalhousing

inplaceonthecorridor;and

» developmentofastandardizedapproachonthe

corridor,withanexpeditedprocessingtime,forthe

deliveryofCommunityAmenityContributions(CACs).

½ TheCity’sland-useplanfortheCambieCorridorhas

openednewareasoftheCityforrapidtransitoriented

development,whichinturnhasspurredasignificant

amountofdevelopmentinterest.TheTaskForcehas

identifiedtheaboveissuesascriticalinadvancing

affordablerentalhousinginVancouverandspecifically

ontheCambieCorridor.

leverage city assets:

½ ExploretheviabilityofusingCity-ownedlandtoleverage

partnerships,includingpartnershipswithnon-profitand

co-ops,forthecreationofaffordablerentalhousing.

wield influence:

½ Usethebroadandinfluentialmembershipofthe

TaskForcetoadvocate:

» withthefederalgovernmentontheneedforenhanced

taxincentivesandfinancingmechanismsforthe

constructionofnewrentalhousingandtheprotection

andrehabilitationofexistingrentalhousing;and

» withtheprovincialgovernmentontheneedto

streamlineapprovalprocessesforthedeliveryof

fee-simplerowhousing.

Inturningitsattentiontoseniorlevelsofgovernment,

theTaskForcerecognizesitsimportantroleinenabling,

throughanumberofmechanismsbeyonddirectfunding,

theprotectionofexistingrentalhousingaswellasthe

creationofnewrentalhousing,andindiversifyingthe

rangeofhousingoptionsintheCity.

aPPendix 2: Quick sTarTs – released MarcH 2012

Inthelead-uptothisInterimReport,theTaskForcedevelopedalistofQuickStartactionsfortheCity.TheTaskForce

recommendedthattheCityimmediatelytakeactiononthesestraightforwardpoliciesandinitiativestoputVancouver

onthepathtoamorecreative,yetfocusedapproachtocreatingandmaintaininghousingaffordabilityinVancouver.

37

aPPendix 3: glossary

affordable HousingcanbeprovidedbytheCity,

government,non-profit,communityandfor-profitpartners.

Itcanbefoundordevelopedalongthewholehousing

continuum,andincludeSROs,marketrentalandaffordable

homeownership.Thedegreeofhousingaffordabilityresults

fromtherelationshipbetweenthecostofhousingand

householdincome.Itisnotastaticconcept,ashousing

costsandincomeschangeovertime.

affordable rental/secure Market rental/Purpose built

rental Housingareapartmentsand/orbuildingsthatare

builtwiththeintenttoberentedintheprivatemarket.

Regulationspreventthemfrombeingseparatedandsold

asseparatestratas.

community amenity contribution (CACs)arein-kind

orcashcontributionsprovidedbydeveloperswhenCity

Councilgrantsadditionaldevelopmentrightsthrough

rezonings.CACscanhelpaddresstheincreaseddemands

thatmaybeplacedonCityfacilitiesasaresultofarezoning

(fromnewresidentsand/oremployees),aswellasmitigate

theimpactsofarezoningonthesurroundingcommunity.

Examplesofin-kindamenitycontributionsincludeaffordable

housing,childcarefacilitiesorparkspaceincorporatedinto

thenewdevelopment.Cashcontributionsmaybeputtoward

amenitiessuchasthese,andothersincludinglibraries,

communitycentres,transportationimprovements,cultural

facilitiesandneighbourhoodhouses.Cashcontributionsare

generallyappliedtooff-siteamenitiesinthesurrounding

community.

condominiums arebuildingsinwhichunitsofpropertyare

ownedindividually,whilethecommonpropertyisowned

jointlybyalloftheowners.

development cost levy(DCLs)areagrowth-related

chargeonallnewdevelopment.Theyareappliedona

persquarefootbasisandarepayableatBuildingPermit

issuance.DCLsaregovernedbyrulessetoutinthe

VancouverCharter.DCLsareaveryimportantsource

ofrevenueforcivicfacilities.DCLscollectedfrom

developmenthelppayforfacilitiesmadenecessaryby

growth.FacilitieseligibleforDCLfundinginclude:parks,

childcarefacilities,replacementhousing(social/non-profit

housing),andengineeringinfrastructure.

income range considered by the Task Force: TheTask

Forcefocusedonaffordabilitysolutionsformoderate

incomehouseholdsearningbetween$21,500(singleincome

household)andupto$86,500(forsingleanddualincome

households).

Moderate income Householdsarethosemakingbetween

$21,500(singleincomehousehold)andupto$86,500

peryear(forbothsingleanddualincomehouseholds)

other ownershiprefersprimarilytosinglefamily

homesandrowhouseformsthatarenotownedas

strataproperties(e.g.condominiums).

rented condominiumsareinvestor-ownedcondominium

(strata)unitsrentedontheprivatemarket.

secondary suitesaretypicallyadditionalunitswithin

thestructureofaprincipalsinglefamilyresidence

(oftenbasementapartments),orarelock-offsuitesin

townhousesandapartments.

social Housing/non-market Housingishousingfor

lowandmoderateincomesinglesandfamilies,usually

subsidizedthroughavarietyofmechanisms,including

seniorgovernmentsupport.ThecurrentmodelinVancouver

isaself-containedunit,withprivatebathroomandkitchen,

ownedoroperatedbygovernmentoranon-profit.Therents

varytoallowamixofresidentshavingdifferentincomes

andcanrangefromthevalueofthesheltercomponentof

incomeassistanceto30%ofatenant’sincomeincluding

marketrents.


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Final Report: Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability

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