The mayor of Vancouver set out a foundation on Wednesday to address the housing crisis in the city, while reducing barriers to building and streamlining regulations.
Ken Sim released a seven-point motion going before council that would direct city staff to prioritize new housing construction, allow for increased density around transit hubs, speed up a plan for 26 villages in the city and increase enforcement of short-term rental regulations.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 an affordability crisis going on in the city of Vancouver,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎nd we have a supply and demand imbalance in the city of Vancouver, and how we address that over the longer term is we build more housing.害羞草研究所�
The mayor said residents should expect to see more 害羞草研究所渂old motions害羞草研究所� coming from council in the upcoming weeks to cut delays for building more homes.
He said his team is completing a deep dive into redundant bylaws and guidelines with the goal of cutting the red tape that is holding up the delivery of homes.
While there害羞草研究所檚 no estimate of how many homes could be built with the changes, Sim said accelerating the implementation of the villages from the Vancouver Plan will bring more homes, ranging from single-family townhomes to multiplexes and three- to six-storey apartment buildings.
害羞草研究所淭his will allow residents who want to downsize to stay in their neighbourhoods, while also ensuring that young families can build a future in the city of Vancouver,害羞草研究所� he added.
The city will also look into housing density near transit hubs, which the mayor said is lacking in some areas.
害羞草研究所淎nd so when we think about it, it makes a lot of sense, more homes attached and surrounding a SkyTrain station means a smaller carbon footprint for the area. And it also means a more interconnected city,害羞草研究所� said Sim.
The announcement came on the same day the city released a digital process that helps applicants navigate the construction of laneway homes, and helps homeowners fast track the permit process if their projects are under $95,000.
Coun. Mike Klassen said when the original Expo Line was built in the 1980s, a lot of the neighbourhoods along the line didn害羞草研究所檛 have the housing density.
He said stations, such as Renfrew, Rupert, 29th Avenue and VCC-Clark, have 害羞草研究所済reat opportunities害羞草研究所� to build more housing.
The motion will go before council next week and is expected to pass as Sim害羞草研究所檚 ABC Vancouver party has the majority on council.
Also within the proposal is a plan to increase enforcement of short-term rentals. Coun. Lenny Zhou said he害羞草研究所檚 had conversations with provincial government officials and believes legislation will be coming soon to further enforce the short-term rental restrictions.
Zhou said the city is also committed to cracking down on illegal short-term rental units.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 really optimistic that all levels of government are taking this issue very seriously. As I mentioned before, every single unit matters,害羞草研究所� said Zhou.
Coun. Adriane Carr, a Vancouver Green Party member, said the city was already on track to increase housing, but there isn害羞草研究所檛 consideration of housing affordability in Sim害羞草研究所檚 plan.
害羞草研究所淪o I害羞草研究所檓 very worried about the fact that our plan has been to date to prioritize the housing that is most desperately needed, which is for people who are lower incomes. And I害羞草研究所檓 not hearing that, not seeing that in the information that I have received today,害羞草研究所� she said.
On the question of affordability, Sim said the city don害羞草研究所檛 control macro economic issues or interest rate hikes, 害羞草研究所測ou have to talk to the Bank of Canada about that. But what we can control is creating an environment where more homes can be built.害羞草研究所�
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