the city's role in affordable housing
DESCRIPTION
For over 50 years, the City of Vancouver has been delivering, managing and facilitating affordable housing for people with low to moderate incomes. Despite the efforts and interventions of the City over several decades, affordability remains a problem for many households. What more can the City do? What is the role of other partners?TRANSCRIPT
A Home For
EveryoneWhat can the City do?
Role of the City
ADVOCACY SERVICE DELIVERY
POLICY ®ULATION
PARTNER-SHIPS
RESEARCH & TRAINING
FUNDING (GRANTS)
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
INFRASTRUCTURE
The City of Vancouver is actively involved
in housing, from advocacy to direct
service delivery.
For over 50 years, the City of Vancouver
has been delivering, managing and
facilitating affordable housing for people
with low to moderate incomes.
Affordability Remains an Issue
Despite the efforts and interventions of the City over several
decades, affordability remains a problem for many households.
Housing & Strategy Focus Areas
The City recognizes affordability impacts the ability for the homeless and people with low-incomes as well as people with more moderate incomes to find a home in Vancouver.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability is seeking innovative new ways to create more housing options for these residents with lower and moderate incomes — household incomes between $21,500 and $86,500.
The City of Vancouver’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy will continue to seek solutions for ending homelessness and lower income residents who will not find housing in the housing market as well as secure rental housing and homeownership initiatives for more moderate incomes.
However, no one government or agency can deliver all the solutions to ensuring there is housing affordable to people with lower and moderate incomes. Historically there have been significant contributions from senior levels of governments.
History of Roles & Partnerships
Since Late 1940s
1993
The Federal Government played a major role funding and facilitating tens of thousands of family and seniors housing across Canada.
The Federal Government greatly
reduced its involvement, leaving provinces and municipalities to identify and meet local needs.
Since 1993
Under fiscal restraints, BC Housing and the City have played a continuing role in creating housing, especially for people with the significant barriers to housing – people with disabilities, the homeless, and the frail elderly.
City Role – Working with Partners
The City works with many government, private sector and non-profit
partners to expand affordable housing options. From research and
advocacy to building and finance, partners are a mandatory component to
the city’s role in providing affordable housing in Vancouver.
City Role – Policy & Programs
Requiring major residential rezonings to include 20% non-market housing.
Planning “new neighbourhoods” through redevelopment of former industrial lands such as False Creek, Coal Harbour, and East Fraserlands.
Providing financial and other incentives for developers to build new market rental housing.
Adopting a Housing and Homelessness Strategy, 2012-2021 with specific targets to create new affordable housing.
City Role – Regulation
Encouraging secondary suites and laneway housing and flexible lock-off suites in apartments.
Protecting affordable Single Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels for people with low incomes by requiring to obtain Council approval to demolish or convert.
Protecting rental housing by requiring one-for-one rental unit replacements for projects of 6 or more units.
City Role – Buy & Lease
Pursuing opportunities to buy land for the development of future non-market housing. Recently, the City, in partnership with BC Housing, Streetohome and Vancouver Coastal Health provided 1,500 units of supported housing.
Leasing land at below market rates to non-profit societies to build non-market housing. Areas including False Creek and Coal Harbour are recent examples.
City Role – Landlord & Tenant Assistance
Owning and operating social housing. The City owns and operates 750 units of housing for lower income. Many of these are in the Downtown Eastside, such as Antoinette Lodge, Alexander Residence, and Oppenheimer Lodge.
The City also operates a Tenant Assistance Program that provides advice and assistance to people struggling to secure housing.
City Role – Finance
Providing financial assistance. The City has a Capital Plan it may utilize to provide capital financial assistance to non-profit societies for affordable housing.
Reducing costs of providing housing. The City can reduce or waive property taxes for non-profit housing and reduce development cost charges and other site-related fees.
The City’s Roles in Housing
Landlord & Tenant
Assistance
Policy & Programs
Regulatory Tools
Owned & leased lands
Financial Tools
Working with Partners
Find out morevancouver.ca/housing