Vancouver mayor outlines plan to address city’s housing crisis

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim outlined a plan Wednesday to address the housing crisis in the city.

Comprising seven items, Sim said it would “give clear direction to city staff to prioritize the construction of new housing in Vancouver.”

It will also step up enforcement of short-term rentals, such as Airbnb.

“Since being elected just over a year ago with a significant majority on council, we have heard one thing over and over: people can’t afford to live here,” Sim said Wednesday.

“As a dad, I know the uncertainty parents feel right now when they think about whether or not their kids will be able to live and thrive in this city.”

Sim said council has already made significant changes to zoning, and streamlined regulations and permit approvals.

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The seven points are accelerating the implementation of the 26 Village Areas to allow for the construction of townhouses, multiplex buildings and mixed-use low-rise buildings; aligning the Vancouver Building By-law (CBO) with the BC Building Code (BCBC); reviewing the Shadow Impact Criteria and Guidelines, which look at shadows cast on parks and open spaces; expanding and improving the city’s Certified Professional (CP) program; increasing the maximum allowable floor plate size for residential towers; furthering enforcement of short-term rentals and exploring the rezoning of lands to increase housing density, especially around SkyTrain stations.

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In August, the average price of renting a one-bedroom in Vancouver surpassed $3,000, and a lawyer and tenant advocate in the city said tenants are experiencing “real fear.”

Robert Patterson of the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre said the top concern he encounters is eviction under “false pretenses” by landlords who want to “reorient” their units and charge more rent.

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“We don’t honestly have sufficient protection of their tenancies in the law right now,” he said.

“Many tenants, if they were to face the loss of their home, they can’t afford anything in their community, even in nearby communities — so they’d be facing displacement not just from their city or town, but potentially from the province, and that’s a huge problem for so many people.”

— with files from Christa Dao