Report - Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability: 2012 Oct 2 › 20121002 › documents ›...
Transcript of Report - Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability: 2012 Oct 2 › 20121002 › documents ›...
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Report Date: September 25, 2012 Contact: David McLellan Contact No.: 604.871.6939 RTS No.: 9762 VanRIMS No.: 08-2000-20 Meeting Date: October 2, 2012 TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: Final Report from the Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council receive the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability (Bold Ideas Towards an Affordable City), including the results of the re:THINK HOUSING competition and the web-based Place Speak survey attached as Appendix B, and thank the members of the Task Force for their work.
B. THAT Council direct staff to implement the action plan in Appendix A, including immediate action to undertake a business plan and feasibility study for a City Housing Authority.
C. THAT Council direct staff to begin immediate implementation of Action 1,
providing an interim rezoning policy that allows for consideration of rezoning applications immediately in certain specific existing residential or mixed use areas (not industrial, office or mixed employment areas) as outlined in 1.2 below.
REPORT SUMMARY This Council report presents the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force of Housing
Affordability (Bold Ideas Towards an Affordable City) for Council consideration, which includes a summary of the results of the re:THINK HOUSING competition and the web-based Place Speak survey. This staff report also seeks Council direction to implement the priority City actions identified in the body of the report and in the attached priority action plan (Appendix A).
RR-2
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COUNCIL AUTHORITY/PREVIOUS DECISIONS
Council passed a resolution to establish a Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability in December 2011, which was to provide recommendations to Mayor and Council for priority actions that may be taken by the City to create low-income housing, affordable rental housing, and affordable home ownership.
CITY MANAGER'S/GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS The Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability has been a vital initiative that will
assist the City in developing solutions to one of our most significant challenges. Many hours of inquiry and discussion, plus the years of experience of Task Force members, have produced a notable report that has many good recommendations for Council. This report seeks Council direction to prioritize the actions the City will take in response to the Task Force report, ensuring that staff can focus their attention and resources most effectively in implementation.
REPORT Background/Context
The City of Vancouver’s core mission is “to create a great city of communities which cares about its people, its environment and the opportunities to live, work and prosper.” Challenges with housing affordability and homelessness have emerged as significant barriers to achieving this mission. Over the past several years, Council has made rapid progress in addressing these challenges, particularly in reducing street homelessness and encouraging the supply of affordable market rental housing. In July 2011, the City’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy was adopted, outlining actions to address housing affordability across the housing continuum. The Strategy included two key goals:
1. End Street Homelessness by 2015 2. Increase affordable housing choices for all Vancouverites
In December 2011, Council passed a resolution to create the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability. The mandate of the Task Force was to examine conditions that exist in Vancouver which may act as barriers to the creation of affordable housing, the steps necessary to protect existing affordable housing, and to identify opportunities for increasing the supply of affordable housing. The Task Force sought to:
Develop innovative recommendations from an evidence-base that will help Vancouver become a more sustainable, diverse, and affordable city
Focus on affordability solutions for those households with moderate incomes (which currently range from $21,500 to $86,500)
In June 2012, following several months of research, analysis, facilitated discussion and input from various sources, the Task Force published an Interim Report. The Interim Report outlined four key recommendations for Council, housing stakeholders and the public to consider:
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Increase the supply and diversity of housing; Enhance the City’s and the community’s capacity to deliver affordable rental and
social housing; Protect the existing social and affordable rental stock, and explore opportunities to
renew and expand that stock; and, Streamline and create more certainty and clarity in the regulation process, and
improve public engagement. Following the publications of its Interim Report, the Task Force considered public feedback on the report through a variety of strategies including:
The re:THINK HOUSING ideas competition A web-based Place Speak survey of the community on the recommendations in the
report The final report from the Task Force, attached as Appendix B, incorporates several of the ideas generated through the public engagement. In particular, two concepts that were popular with the public and the Task Force jury that judged the re:THINK competition are included in this Council report as priority actions (Thin Streets and Co-Housing). A summary of the re:THINK HOUSING ideas competition and of the Place Speak survey are included in the Task Force final report.
Strategic Analysis The final report of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability proposes four primary recommendations, each with several implementation actions and approaches associated with them. Some of the recommendations suggest relatively minor changes that will enable the delivery of greater housing diversity and affordability, while others propose fundamental changes to the way the City does business. Some recommendations are relatively quick and straightforward to implement, while others are complex and will unfold over a period of several years. Staff recommends that Council consider and accept the final report from the Task Force. Staff also seek Council direction to implement the priority action plan included as Appendix A. The following sections present the final recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force, followed by the priority actions the City will take to implement them, pending Council approval. Recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability This section outlines the four high level recommendations of the Task Force, excerpted from its Final Report. These recommendations remain largely unchanged from the Interim Report of the Task Force, which received generally positive public feedback. Task Force Recommendation 1: Increase supply and diversity of affordable housing
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, South East False Creek,
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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.
Task Force Recommendation 2: Enhance the City’s and the community’s capacity to deliver affordable rental housing and social housing
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.
Task Force Recommendation 3: Protect existing social and affordable rental and explore opportunities to renew and expand the stock
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.
Task Force Recommendation 4: Streamline and create more certainty and clarity in the regulatory process, and improve public engagement
Enhance certainty, efficiency and transparency of approval processes and clarify regulations in order to reduce development costs and enhance affordability.
City of Vancouver Action Plan: Implementing the Recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability This section outlines a City of Vancouver Action Plan and describes the priority actions that the City will take to implement Task Force recommendations, pending Council approval. These actions were drawn from the Task Force final report and are considered to be those that should be given a high priority as they will have the greatest impact on affordability. The Action Plan includes two types of actions:
1. Priority Actions for Immediate Implementation – these actions have the potential to make a significant contribution to housing affordability and can be initiated quickly. They were identified as high priorities by the Task Force members.
2. Additional Actions for Implementation – these actions are no less important than the
Priority Actions, but require additional work and time to implement and complete (i.e. 2 to 5 years).
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1. Priority Actions for Immediate Implementation:
Action 1: Implement an Interim Rezoning Policy that increases affordable housing choices across Vancouver’s neighbourhoods
Immediately implement an Interim Rezoning Policy that allows for consideration of rezoning applications in certain specific existing residential or mixed use areas (not industrial, office or mixed employment areas) as outlined in 1.2 below. The policy will be able to provide immediate and on-going opportunities for affordable housing.
The intent of this Interim Rezoning Policy is to encourage innovation and enable real examples of ground-oriented affordable housing types to be tested for potential wider application that will provide on-going housing opportunities. This policy will demonstrate the “transition zone” concept identified by the Task Force, where ground-oriented affordable housing types provide a transition between higher density arterial streets and single family areas. The Interim Policy will be published in a bulletin and made available on the City website.
Rezoning applications will be considered when the following criteria regarding affordability and form of development are met:
1.1 Affordability
Projects must demonstrate an enhanced level of affordability beyond that provided through the delivery of a generally more affordable housing type alone. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate their ability to maximise the level of affordability in the project. Projects that would be considered are:
where 100% of the residential floor space is rental housing where units are sold for at least 20% below market value and include a secure
mechanism for maintaining that level of affordability over time (e.g. resale covenant, 2nd mortgage, etc.)
innovative housing models and forms of tenure such as co-housing, when they can demonstrate enhanced affordability as determined by the City
where a Community Land Trust model is employed to secure increasing affordability over time.
AND
1.2 Form of Development/Location
Subject to urban design performance (including consideration of shadow analysis, view impacts, frontage length, building massing, setbacks, etc.) and demonstration of a degree of community support, projects that would be considered are: Within approximately 100 metres of an arterial street (i.e. 1.5 blocks), ground-
oriented forms up to a maximum of 3.5 storeys, which is generally sufficient height to include small house/duplexes, traditional row houses, stacked townhouses and courtyard row houses.
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Fronting on arterials that are well served by transit and within close proximity (i.e. a five minute walk or 500 metres) of identified neighbourhood centres and local shopping areas, mid-rise forms up to a maximum of 6 storeys
Staff recommends that the interim policy be reviewed with a report back to Council after 20 rezoning applications are processed. At that point, staff may make recommendations to expand or revise the criteria above in order to enhance housing options and affordability. If approved by Council, this policy would replace the Neighbourhood Housing Demonstration Project. As such, the Neighbourhood Housing Demonstration Project policy will be repealed.
Action 2: Implement the Thin Streets concept identified through the re:THINK HOUSING ideas competition
Identify and implement at least one Thin Streets pilot project through each of the Community Plans currently underway in the Marpole, Grandview-Woodland and the West End (in the West End, the concept will likely be implemented using lanes rather than streets). In addition to providing more affordable housing, Thin Streets projects may contribute to traffic calming and neighbourhood improvement. In communities that are not currently undergoing community planning, the City will develop a process through which Thin Streets projects can be initiated, possibly building on the City’s Green Streets program.
Action 3: Develop an operational and organizational model for a City Housing Authority, including a business plan.
This work will outline a new operational and organizational model for a City-owned Housing Authority, and will provide detailed analysis of the implications of this approach for the City, including:
- Guiding Principles – what are the principles that will guide the City’s role in housing?
- Mandate - what is the role of the Housing Authority? - Governance - how will it be structured and how will decisions be made? - Assets and Financing - what will it own and how will it access funding? What
will be its capacity to raise capital? What are the tax implications of the Housing Authority model?
- Leadership and Staffing - what types of positions/people does it need to be successful?
Action 4: Use current community planning programs to increase the supply of affordable housing
The City will ensure community plan processes currently underway in the West End, Grandview-Woodlands, Marpole and the Downtown Eastside identify areas appropriate for growth and enable those areas to generate affordable housing through density increases.
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These plans should also maximize the opportunity to create transition zones between arterials and single family neighbourhoods through these planning programs, and in Phase 3 of the Cambie Corridor Plan.
Action 5: Revise and clarify Council’s inclusionary housing policies (i.e. the 20% Policy) to emphasize a flexible and creative approach to the delivery of affordable housing in large developments.
The intent of this inclusionary housing policy is to create opportunities for affordable housing when large site rezonings occur. The priority for this policy will continue to be to secure at least 20% of the units in large developments as social housing for low-income households, pending the availability of funding through CACs and other sources at the time of rezoning. When sufficient funding to achieve 20% of units as social housing is not available in a timely way, the City will consider flexible options to achieve a minimum of 20% of units as affordable housing for low to moderate income households, including, but not limited to:
Market rental housing owned and operated by a non-profit housing provider; Market rental housing that is privately owned and operated; Innovative housing models that can demonstrate a significant level of
affordability (e.g. affordable homeownership models). Clear title to a site that could accommodate 20% of the units in the
development as affordable housing in cases where the City has a reasonable expectation of being able to develop the site in a timely way;
Offsite provision of affordable housing.
The application of these options will be at the City’s discretion, and emphasis will continue to be placed on the achievement of social housing for low-income households wherever possible.
This policy is consistent with Council’s Sustainable Large Development Rezoning Policy and is intended to provide more clarity to applicants applying for rezoning of large sites under that policy.
Action 6: Identify additional City-owned lands that may be underused and undertake planning work to bring these sites forward for affordable housing development.
The identification of the next phase of City sites for affordable housing will be undertaken following the completion of the current RFEOI/RFP process for affordable housing on City land (More Homes: More Affordability project). The current RFEOI/RFP process is expected to inform future affordable housing initiatives on City land. Planning work is required to ensure the potential of these sites is maximized. This planning work can be done through area plans, or through site specific rezonings initiated by the Director of Planning, depending on the context of the City-owned lands.
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2. Additional Implementation Actions:
Action 7: Increase housing supply and options in strategic locations throughout the City
Staff will develop and initiate planning programs that have the greatest potential for contributions to affordable housing supply. Prioritization of areas for planning programs will begin immediately and will be integrated with the work on the Regional Context Statement (RCS). The RCS will start to identify a framework for future planning in the City and will be complete by Summer 2013. Detailed Terms of Reference for the programs will also be reported to Council prior to the start-up of each program. These programs will focus on delivering housing supply and affordable options at key transit nodes and corridors, identified neighbourhood centres and local shopping areas. Planning work will focus not only on the specific station sites and arterials, but on carefully defined transition zones adjacent to the key areas of change. In these “transition zones”, opportunities for ground-oriented housing that scales down from higher density forms on and near arterials to adjacent single family neighbourhoods will be explored. It is expected that housing forms identified in the Community Visions, as well as the new housing types being created through the Norquay Neighbourhood Centre Plan will inform this work. The programs will be aligned with other City initiatives including the Housing and Homelessness Strategy, Greenest City Plan, Economic Action Strategy, Healthy City Strategy, Regional Context Statement and social development goals. Further, the Terms of Reference are expected to signal the City’s expectations with regards to financing amenities in potential new areas of development. It is expected that these planning initiatives will be launched following the completion of the current Community Plan programs at the end of 2013. This timeline fits well with the current work on the Regional Context Statement and allows the existing Community Planning teams to be redeployed to these new planning initiatives, which will benefit from lessons learned during the current Community Plans.
Action 8: Increase the supply of additional secondary rental units
In order to increase the supply of secondary rental units, the City will undertake the following initiatives:
Expand the laneway house initiative to allow laneway houses in additional single family zones (RS zones)
Explore the feasibility of laneway houses in duplex zones (RT zones). Expand the zoning districts and housing forms in which secondary suites are
permitted to include additional ground oriented housing types (e.g. duplexes, row houses, etc).
Consult with industry on revisions to the Vancouver Building Bylaw, requiring all new ground oriented housing to be built “suite ready.” Pending the outcome of the consultation, implement the necessary revisions Vancouver Building Bylaw amendments.
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Action 9: Create opportunities for the development of more co-housing projects
In conjunction with the co-housing projects that will be considered under the Interim Rezoning Policy identified in Action 1, the City will review and explore removing regulatory barriers to the development of additional co-housing projects.
Action 10: Enhance the City’s family housing requirements to encourage more 3 bedroom units in new development
The City will update and expand its current family housing guidelines to stipulate the inclusion of homes with 3-plus bedrooms in developments, particularly in lower floors of projects where they will be more affordable. Since the inclusion of 3-bedroom units has financial impacts on projects, the City will explore cost offsets to facilitate the development of more 3-bedroom units.
Action 11: Support the development of Community Land Trusts (CLT) and new financing mechanisms
The City will work with partners to support existing community land trusts and explore opportunities to establish new community land trusts. The Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability defines a CLT as, “a community-based non-profit corporation created to acquire and hold land over the long term for the benefit of a community and provide secure affordable access to land and housing for community residents”.
The City will similarly work with key financial and community partners to explore new social financing mechanisms and opportunities.
Action 12: Evaluate the impacts of expiring federal operating agreements and develop options to preserve affordability and take advantage of opportunities to renew and expand the stock
The City will work with partners to evaluate the impact of expiring federal operating agreements on non-profit and co-operative housing and analyse options for mitigating impacts, including identifying redevelopment opportunities. For projects on City-owned land, criteria for evaluating the optimal use of City land to leverage housing opportunities will be established, including negotiating lease rates with non-profits in order to protect affordability and engaging with government and non-profit partners to find solutions.
Action 13: Evaluate the City’s rental protection regulations (Rate of Change)
The current rental protection regulations will be evaluated through the Community Plan process currently underway and at a City-wide level, with the goal of preserving affordability and housing stability, while identifying opportunities to renew and expand the stock.
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The evaluation will include a consultant study to identify and test potential retention and redevelopment scenarios. The study should further the City’s understanding of the following: - economic feasibility of rental retention and replacement options - comparative levels of affordability achievable in new units vs. levels preserved
through investment or maintenance of existing units - the anticipated rate of redevelopment and impact on tenants Following the evaluation, the City will develop new or amended rate of change policies and guidelines for Council to adopt (these could be included in the community plans or created as separate policy). As part of the work to preserve and upgrade the existing rental housing stock, the City will also explore the establishment of new financial tools (e.g. a revolving loan fund with partners) for the upgrading and maintenance of rental buildings, with an emphasis on sustainability and liveability.
Action 14: Develop and implement rezoning and permit process improvements
The City will develop and implement improvements that recognize the priority nature of projects which meet the City’s Affordable Housing goals, including creating inter-departmental teams, running concurrent rezoning and development processes whenever appropriate, utilizing project facilitation services, exploring alternate public notification processes including social media, and increasing clarity during the community amenity contribution process. This action is aligned with the Vancouver Services Review project to improve Permitting and Licensing processes at the City, and will benefit from the work underway through that project.
Action 15: Take steps to provide applicants more certainty in the City’s approach to financing the infrastructure and amenities needed to accommodate growth.
Where a community planning policy is implemented using a privately initiated site-specific rezoning approach, the City will explore areas where the CAC amount can be pre-determined prior to the rezoning process, in combination with a negotiated CAC approach where it continues to be appropriate. Where community planning policy is implemented using a City-initiated, district schedule rezoning approach: identify areas where a new district schedule could use a density bonusing system
to achieve public benefits and seek Council direction to develop a pilot project for implementation of this district schedule.
monitor the outcomes of development projects to determine what effect this zoning approach has on the speed and pace of redevelopment compared to non-bonus density zones and to what extent the certainty and associated cost savings are passed on to new occupants.
This staff report and the attached Action Plan outlines the City’s priorities for implementing the recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability. However, the Task
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Force report recommends several innovative concepts that are not specifically included in this report (e.g. building on top of transit stations, encouraging the use of new construction methods and materials, etc.). These concepts will continue to be considered through the implementation of the Action Plan in the City’s ongoing work on affordable housing and community planning. Implications/Related Issues/Risk (if applicable)
Financial The proposed action steps discussed in this report are within the City’s jurisdiction and can be mostly integrated into existing work programs and processes. For example, the community plans already underway in four neighborhoods provide an excellent platform to operationalize the recommendations of the Task Force. These community plans are expected to complete by the end of 2013. At that time, community planning teams can be re-deployed to the next planning initiatives, identified as having the greatest potential for affordable housing delivery. The result of these planning initiatives will then inform future initiatives, where efficiencies can be adopted. The Action Plan timing and resource requirements are contained in Appendix B. If this Action Plan is approved by Council, where applicable, implementation will be built into the City’s long-term financial planning processes, such as the 10-year Capital Strategic Outlook, 3-year Capital Plans and operating budgets. CONCLUSION This Council report presents the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability (Bold Ideas Towards an Affordable Future), including the results of the re:THINK housing competition and the web-based Place Speak survey. Based on the Task Force report, the priority actions set out in this Council report are considered by staff to be the priority actions the City can take at this time to improve housing affordability.
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Mayor’s Task Force on Housing aFFordabiliTy
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APPENDIX B
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
imAge to come...
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
04 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
06 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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
08 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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
10 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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
tAsk force recommendAtion 02
enHance THe ciTy’s and THe coMMuniTy’s caPaciTy To deliVer aFFordable renTal and social Housing
12 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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
Task Force recoMMendaTions
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
affordability considerations:
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
tAsk force recommendAtion 03
ProTecT exisTing social and aFFordable renTal Housing and exPlore oPPorTuniTies To renew and exPand THe sTock
16 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
Task Force recoMMendaTions
18 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
affordability considerations:
Existingpurpose-builtrentalstockisanimportantsource
ofaffordabilityformoderateincomeresidents.Thechallenge
forthecityistofindwaystorenewandexpandthisstockin
awaythatwillminimizetheimpactoncurrenttenantsand
maintainaffordabilityoverthelongterm.
19
tAsk force recommendAtion 04
sTreaMline and creaTe More cerTainTy and clariTy in THe regulaTory Process, and iMProVe Public engageMenT
20 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
Task Force recoMMendaTions
22 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
affordability considerations:
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
mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
26 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
26 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
27mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
27 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
recoMMendaTions FroM THe Jury
alan boniface // nathan edelson // Mark guslits // olga ilich // ken kwan
28 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
30 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
32 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
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.
mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 201236
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.
38 mAyor's tAsk force on housing AffordAbility 2012
½ vancouver.ca
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