A Home For

EveryoneWhat can the City do?

Role of the City

ADVOCACY SERVICE DELIVERY

POLICY &REGULATION

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