The City of Vancouver’s Missing Middle Housing survey closes this Sunday, March 5. If you haven’t yet completed it and would like to convey your views to City staff, the survey can be found here.

Here is the information that was shown at the City open houses.

Survey Says!

The survey asks if homeowners/developers should be allowed to build additional housing on their properties for those who cannot afford to buy their own home. These additions would take the form of three to four-unit multiplexes on smaller lots, and up to six on larger ones. Owners can sell or rent individual units, and the City is working on a plan to make some of them available to those with lower incomes. There is no limit on how many multiplexes can be built per city block.

Your feedback matters because the motion not only affects our own neighbourhood but all residential (RS) zones in Vancouver. The current Council under Mayor Ken Sim has already approved the plan in principle. The survey, in conjunction with seven open houses held between Feb. 7 and 25 (and one Zoom information session on Feb. 27), make up the first phase of public engagement.

As always, we advise caution when completing City surveys. They have become, in many instances, the main form of public consultation on important issues that directly affect us. It’s important to be informed. Please consult UKRA’s last few newsletters. 

If you have questions about the plan, email the City at [email protected].

The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods has also released information and shared their concerns about the plan:

• Increase density to 1.0 FSR with up to six units of strata;
• Four strata units on 33 ft. lots and six strata units on 50 ft. lots;
• All above grade without basements or maximum 4 ft. below grade;
• Inadequate electrical and sewer infrastructure capacity which requires every project in RS (including single family) to now have an onsite electrical transformer (these run in the range of $100,000 each) on a 12 ft x 12 ft easement at the lane and a huge onsite underground water tank to prevent overflow of the sewer system;
• Requires Community Amenity Contributions (CACs), but it will not be enough to cover the cost of needed infrastructure and amenities;
• No neighbourhood-based planning for new schools, community centres, daycare, family doctors, or other amenities planned for many neighbourhoods that are already deficient;
• The city’s target is only for 10,000 units. They should divide this amount between the affected neighbourhoods and plan for it in the local context with required infrastructure;
• Undermines character house and heritage retention incentives and adds more pressure for demolition;
• Loss of existing affordable secondary suite rentals and creates tenant displacement;
• Only one onsite parking stall required, or potentially no onsite parking, which will overload street parking and have no access to electric car charging;
• Loss of yards and/or permeable surfaces with little green space provided;
• Loss of on-site trees and large street trees where front yard setbacks are so narrow there is not enough room for root systems;
• The City has been consulting with the development industry for at least a year while the public has only been consulted for the month of February.

PS: Your Property Tax is Going Up

You’ve no doubt hear about the 10.7 per cent property tax increase that Vancouver City Council approved this week — it’s the steepest in 100 years. This story in Vancouver is Awesome explains why the hike is needed. 

Province Delegates Money for Secondary Suites

UKRA hasn’t had time to analyze if the move by Premier David Eby to incentivize homeowners to build secondary suites will help ease Vancouver’s affordable housing crisis. BC Finance Minister Katrine Conroy just announced that the provincial government will give a total of $91 million to homeowners to add more rental spaces as part of a three-year project. Here is a story about the plan from the Daily Hive.

Photo courtesy of the City of Vancouver.