One of Vancouver’s latest affordable housing initiatives is going back to staff after a resounding defeat at city council.
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart expressed shock and dismay on Sept. 30 when his “Making Homes” motion was defeated in a seven to two motion and referred back to city staff as a heavily amended document that will not go back to council until next year.
“I pitched it as a pilot project all over the city and it was innovative in terms of form and finance. Presentations from planners are great but builders showing you stuff is way better,” Stewart said.
Stewart’s plan would have allowed for six homes on a single-family lot with one unit locked in at a below-market rental rate for the life of the building.
The plan would have the majority of the homes on a lot sold at market rates but with one or two units reserved for middle-class households earning $80,000 a year. Stewart’s plan called for 100 pilot projects to get underway across Vancouver by next year.
The below-market units in these buildings would allow new homeowners to get a toehold in previously inaccessible neighbourhoods, Stewart said.
“We have to build for all levels. The problem with City Hall is we go project by project. We have lots of investment coming for low income housing at the federal, provincial and now municipal level and that’s going well, but for folks who want to buy, there’s really nothing,” Stewart said.
“There are lots of rental towers but home ownership is a dream for some people and this is a way to make it possible.”
Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung voted to refer the motion to staff and said the demise of the original motion was by “death by amendments” because of last-minute changes by Stewart.
“What he was bringing forward wasn’t different from the original motion, but on the floor he made last minute wild-card amendments (to his own motion) to include rental which changes the dynamic of the affordability,” Kirby-Yung said.
“I think council felt it was important to take a sort period of time to study impacts.”
She emphasized she felt the mayor needed to be more clear in his intentions for the motion.
“We have to work with communities and neighbourhoods. There is a willingness to accept density but they want to be part of the conversation,” she said.
Stewart is optimistic his Making Homes project has a future.
“I’m really hoping we get something running before the next election in 2022 like a pilot program to have 100 participants building in the next two years. It wouldn’t take long to get demonstration projects up, a lot of buildings could be up in 12 to 18 months, and it wouldn’t be a huge risk,” Stewart said.
Kirby-Yung concurred with Stewart that the city must move beyond “spot rezoning.”
“That’s why consultation with the community has to happen. It’s a cycle of spot rezoning as opposed to taking a little time and coming up with a plan people can get behind,” she said.
Stewart said construction has helped the city weather the COVID-19 pandemic but innovation is necessary to continue that success and increase affordability.
“With COVID-19, construction has actually kept the economy alive, so we’re working to speed up permitting and (encourage) as much investment as we can,” he said.
Stewart stressed a move away from single family homes is critical if affordability is to become a reality.
“Otherwise, Vancouver is like Monaco with rich people in the city and everyone else outside. That’s not my vision of Vancouver,” Stewart said.
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