BC Provincial Government Housing Policies 2023

[giallo]

^ Awesome. The NDP are not joking around. They understand how serious the housing problem is in BC, and how much worse it could get if we don't take drastic action now.

[bluefox]

Originally Posted by giallo

Worst housing crisis in the province's history requiring an all-hands-on-deck approach.

West Van councillors: We don't care

Something tells me this councillor wouldn't have been so grumpy about "unelected premiers" if Christy Clark tried something similar between 2011 and 2013.

But either way: tell us you don't understand Westminster government without actually telling us you don't understand it, councillor. We don't elect premiers.

[Tvisforme]

This week in West Vancouver:

The Globe and Mail: City councillors in West Vancouver grudgingly agree to province’s demand for more density

Also in West Vancouver:

CBC: West Vancouver sells public beach access to private buyer

[Sheba]

...and so it continues...

B.C. hits Township of Langley with deadline to approve density near SkyTrain site

The B.C. government is calling out another municipality over what it says are delays in approving new density requirements near transit hubs.

This time the target is the Township of Langley, which the province has given until Oct. 31 to greenlight a new Transit-Oriented Density (TOD) zone around the site of the future Willowbrook SkyTrain Station.

...

The warning is getting a cool reception in the municipality, with Mayor Eric Woodward arguing the province has failed to appreciate Langley’s unique circumstances.

“These things may be needed in Vancouver where we have seen single-family homes surrounding SkyTrain stations for 30 years, but that’s not the situation here,” Woodward said.

“We do have a significant infrastructure deficit we are trying to catch up on with so much growth.”

Woodward said the township was already scheduled to update its Willowbrook community plan starting in 2025, but it’s a process the province’s mandate will compromise.

He added that with the SkyTrain not scheduled for completion until at least 2028, the new density is premature.

“I’d like to confirm with the minister SkyTrain on track and on budget to be completed by that timeline. I don’t sense the urgency to do this,” he said.

In a separate letter to the municipality, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon denied Langley Township’s application for an extension on new laws requiring small-scale multi-unit housing on single-family lots.

...

[madog222]

A few days ago the Province announced the first set of new housing targets to build within 5 years for 10 municipalities, three within Metro Vancouver.

New Westminster has the highest overall at 4,432 homes, Port Coquitlam gets 2,279, and City of Langley at 1,844.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by madog222

A few days ago the Province announced the first set of new housing targets to build within 5 years for 10 municipalities, three within Metro Vancouver.

New Westminster has the highest overall at 4,432 homes, Port Coquitlam gets 2,279, and City of Langley at 1,844.

I'm guessing that's from here. A few blurbs from it:

Just a month after announcing housing supply targets for the second cohort of local governments, the Province of British Columbia announced targets for the third group on Tuesday.

In late-April, the Province announced a group of 20 municipalities, but ultimately split them into two groups of 10, with differing reporting periods.

This third set of housing targets amounts to over 17,599 homes and represents a 58% increase in overall housing to be built when compared to historical trends, the Province says.

...

The first group consisted of Abbotsford, Delta, the District of North Vancouver, Kamloops, Oak Bay, Port Moody, Saanich, Vancouver, Victoria, and West Vancouver.

The second group then consisted of Central Saanich, Chilliwack, the City of North Vancouver, Esquimalt, Kelowna, Maple Ridge, Nanaimo, Sidney, Surrey, and White Rock.

...

The third full group is Colwood, Langley (City), Mission, New Westminster, North Cowichan, North Saanich, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, View Royal and West Kelowna.

[Sheba]

Nearly 90% of B.C. communities have adopted small-scale multi-unit housing legislation
Updated on July 25, 2024

Out of 188 local governments in B.C., 162 have adopted the small-scale multi-unit legislation by passing local bylaws, with another nine communities actively working to adopt the legislation.

...

Fifteen communities have requested a formal extension on adopting the legislation beyond the June 30, 2024, deadline. Those requests are being reviewed by the Province. Two communities, the District of Wells and the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, have been granted an extension due to recent or current impacts of wildfire and evacuation orders.

...

The 15 communities are:

Coquitlam
Fraser Lake
Fraser Valley Regional District
Kitimat-Stikine Regional District
Nanaimo Regional District
City of North Vancouver
Osoyoos
Peace River Regional District
Sooke
Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Regional District


The following communities have been granted an extension due to recent or current impacts of wildfires and evacuation orders:

Northern Rockies Regional District
District of Wells


The following community has been granted an extension because it had existing infrastructure upgrades underway:

Greenwood


The following communities have not been granted an extension and will have 90 days from the date of the rejection letter to comply and implement updated bylaws:

Township of Langley
Mount Waddington Regional District


Some additional communities have passed the required bylaws and requested a partial extension to review infrastructure requirements for certain neighbourhoods within a municipal or regional district boundary. Those extensions are also being reviewed the Province.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Sheba

I'm guessing that's from here. A few blurbs from it:


The third full group is Colwood, Langley (City), Mission, New Westminster, North Cowichan, North Saanich, Port Coquitlam, Prince George, View Royal and West Kelowna.

Yes, looking back the 2nd group was never posted/discuss here.

Storeys has a tracker for all three groups here. https://storeys.com/bc-housing-suppl...gress-tracker/



Five year targets for Metro Vancouver Municipalities in all three groups:

Vancouver: 28,900
Surrey: 27,256
New Westminster: 4,432
Maple Ridge: 3,954
Delta: 3,607
North Vancouver, City: 3,320
North Vancouver, District: 2,838
Port Coquitlam: 2,279
Langley, City: 1,844
Port Moody: 1,694
West Vancouver: 1,432
White Rock: 1,067

[Migrant_Coconut]

We need the transit budget increased accordingly. Population growth + no mobility = more drivers.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

We need the transit budget increased accordingly. Population growth + no mobility = more drivers.

More appropriate for discussion on the Transit thread.

You must have already seen the operational financial crisis that's looming at Translink. Although ridership is over 90% of pre pandemic levels, fare revenue hasn't recovered as well because more riders are paying for individual trips rather than buying transit passes, (presumably because they're working at home some of the time). Gas tax revenue is also down as EVs become ever more popular, and some workers who drive an ICE vehicle to work are also working from home some of the time. The Province propped up the finances on a temporary basis, but that runs out next year. And there's little certainty of any federal funding, even for future investment, and certainly not for operating expenses.

There wouldn't seem to be any easy ways of increasing revenue to fund transit which won't cause a significant backlash, or be politically unacceptable. (Or totally self defeating, like raising fares enough to make a difference to the revenue shortfall, which just means some riders stop using transit.)