VANCOUVER – The Government of British Columbia has proposed legislative amendments to support reconciliation and delivery of social housing for people living in Vancouver.
Bill 11 – Vancouver Charter Amendment Act, 2024, will if passed by the legislature, recognizes First Nations as a level of government that qualifies for exemptions from the City of Vancouver’s development cost levy and amenity cost charge for social housing projects built on First Nations-owned land in Vancouver, a release said.
The bill would grant First Nations and First Nation corporations the same exemptions applied currently to federal and provincial governments, the City of Vancouver and non-profit organizations.
“This amendment is intended to reduce costs for First Nations and create opportunities for development, including new social housing,” the release said.
As authorized under the Vancouver Charter, a development cost levy is a charge that the city can impose on a property developer to fund specific city infrastructure, including parks, child care facilities, replacement housing and engineering infrastructure such as water and roads.
An amenity cost charge is a new development finance tool, introduced by Bill 46 in fall 2023, that allows local governments to collect funds for amenities that provide for an increased population resulting from new development.
Development cost levies and amenity cost charges do not apply on reserve lands within the City of Vancouver and the proposed legislation relates specifically to privately held lands owned by First Nations, the release said.
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