New BC Political Discussion - POST BC Election 2017

[misher]

https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columni...plan-could-result-in-provincial-pressure

Vaughn Palmer: Municipal pushback on housing plan could result in provincial pressure

The last point in the plan commits to working with “TransLink and local governments in Metro Vancouver to increase density and improve the availability of affordable housing around transit stations.”
“The challenge is some municipal councils want to have it both ways,” he conceded Thursday. “They want to demand provincial participation, provincial dollars, whether it be on SkyTrain or other forms of transit — but not make the same choices about how do we take advantage of those significant transit investments to building housing around that transportation corridor.”

What if local government balks at provincial priorities on housing while still wanting the province to pay for the transit?

Vancouver’s chief city planner recently told the Globe and Mail how “we have held the line” against pressure for increased density as a way to help pay for the SkyTrain extension.

“We are not funding the line through charges on extra density,” Gil Kelley told reporter Frances Bula. “We’ve been pushing back pretty hard.”

At what point, I asked Horgan, does the province tie its transit dollars to specific targets for density and types of housing?

It is too soon for that, with newly elected mayors and councils all over Metro Vancouver, indicated the premier.

“It’s reasonable for us to wait that out and see, those who want to work with us, will work with us and those who don’t, well we’ll have to find another way.”

He may not have all that much time to wait them out. Horgan’s No. 1 promise in the last election was housing affordability.

He won’t get there just by increasing taxes and reducing demand. He also needs to increase the supply of housing for low- and middle-income individuals and families.