B.C. ponders legislative changes for affordable housing

VANCOUVER — B.C. officials are proposing legislative changes to clarify local government authorities and assist local governments in responding to problems pertaining to affordable housing efforts.

The Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act 2019 would achieve this by altering the City of Vancouver’s charter, the province’s Building Act, the Local Government Act, the Cultus Lake Park Act and the Resort Municipality of Whistler Act, states a release.

In Vancouver, the changes would allow the city to use housing agreements to limit the sale, lease and share prices of housing units.

At a provincial level, the amendments would provide flexibility for officials to share some authority on specific building regulations with local governments, while still allowing the province to establish effective regulations on several emerging issues. These issues include secondary suites, fire sprinklers and the establishment of a code for existing buildings as part of the climate action commitments in CleanBC.

In Cultus Lake, the changes would improve access to high-speed Internet. In Whistler, they would do away with the requirement for the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s official community plans to be approved by the minister, making it consistent with the practice followed for nearly all local governments.