Vancouver and Victoria are among the first 10 communities subject to new housing targets set by the provincial government under legislation passed last year. But it may take some time before these new targets will create new housing.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced the communities Wednesday morning in Vancouver. Mayor Ken Sim joined Kahlon among others including Thomas Davidoff, director of the UBC Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate and Jill Atkey, chief executive officer of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association.

Abbotsford and Delta in the Fraser Valley; North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Port Moody in Greater Vancouver; Oak Bay and Saanich in Greater Victoria and Kamloops also made the list.

害羞草研究所淥ur government is eager to work with this first cohort of municipalities to get shovels in the ground faster and ensure the homes people need get built,害羞草研究所� Kahlon said.

He added that the housing crisis is hurting people and holding back the provincial economy.

害羞草研究所�(We害羞草研究所檙e) taking action with our partners to cut red tape and get homes built faster for people,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淢unicipalities are our critical partners in addressing the housing crisis and building healthy, economically viable communities.害羞草研究所�

Provincial authority to set housing targets in those municipalities comes from the Housing Supply Act passed late last fall.

It encourages municipalities starting those with what the province calls 害羞草研究所渢he greatest need and highest projected growth害羞草研究所� to build more housing by knocking down barriers, including updating zoning bylaws and streamlining local development approval processes.

But the legislation also includes what the province calls 害羞草研究所渃ompliance options as a last resort害羞草研究所� should municipalities struggle to create the necessary conditions for housing.

While Kahlon declined to describe those 害羞草研究所渃ompliance options害羞草研究所� in detail, he said provincial staff will meet with the municipalities over the next two weeks, adding municipalities will have a 30-day window during which they can respond to the province and its 害羞草研究所渃omprehensive害羞草研究所� targets.

害羞草研究所淲e will then make the targets public and our goal is to do a progress update every six months,害羞草研究所� Kahlon said, adding that he expects most municipalities to cooperate and make progress in good faith.

害羞草研究所淔or those communities, who are having challenges after six months, we have the ability to bring in an independent advisor that will help where the barriers may be and help them make progress and if we that progress is being made, then we have the ability as a province to step in and make the decisions that we believe are necessary to ensure affordable housing in communities.害羞草研究所�

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Kahlon acknowledged that not all municipalities on the list are happy to be on it, but all communities in B.C. must do their part.

害羞草研究所淪ome communities have taken on growth and they have the ability to take on growth,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e have some communities that have hidden from growth, but that is just not acceptable when you are in a housing crisis害羞草研究所�we need all communities to participate (and) we are going to engage with the local governments that are perhaps not happy to be on the list and find ways to move forward.害羞草研究所�

Kahlon later insisted that the province is not trying to taking away power away from the municipalities.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 merely saying that we have a housing crisis, here is how we can achieve levels of affordability in communities and leaving it to communities to go and have that conversation with their constituents, so that we can get foward and build the housing that we need.害羞草研究所�

Another pressing question concerns the speed by which the targets will create new housing.

害羞草研究所淲e will start to see policy action quite quickly,害羞草研究所� Davidoff said. 害羞草研究所淭he affected municipalities will have to start producing improved land use processes, that leads to permissions and that in relatively short order (of time_ leads to construction. That takes times, but you see some construction impact within a year,害羞草研究所� Davidoff said.

He also predicted that other municipalities not yet chosen for targets will speed up their processes to avoid making the list.

害羞草研究所淟ook 害羞草研究所� this isn害羞草研究所檛 going to lead to cheap housing within the next year by any means,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut it will begin the process of improved land use and better affordability,害羞草研究所� he said.

The provincial government said that it chose the 10 municipalities based on an index, which economists and housing experts had developed. The index relies on the urgency of local housing needs, the availability of the right housing supply and housing affordability.

One notable absence from the list is the Central Okanagan community of Kelowna, the namesake of Canada害羞草研究所檚 fast-growing census metropolitan area, with the smaller community of Kamloops making the list.

害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 pick communities randomly,害羞草研究所� Kahlon said. 害羞草研究所淭he models actually projected that (Kamloops) is a community in the Interior that needs additional housing, that there are some serious challenges there. It doesn害羞草研究所檛 preclude Kelowna from being on the list in the future. But I will say that we followed the research, that we followed the data.害羞草研究所�

The province plans to announce a second round of eight to 10 municipalities in late 2023.

Sim welcomed Wednesday害羞草研究所檚 announcement.

害羞草研究所淭he housing challenges we see today aren害羞草研究所檛 just limited to one municipality, they impact our region and province as a whole,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 great to see the provincial government taking an increased leadership role in ensuring the delivery of more housing across the province.害羞草研究所�

Sim acknowledged that Vancouver could have done more in the past to build more housing, but this is the time to move forward. He added Vancouver has made significant headway in breaking down longstanding barriers to housing approval and construction in the the last six months.

害羞草研究所淲e hope our progress can inspire other communities across British Columbia to take bold action on housing,害羞草研究所� he said.

wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
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