City plan to bring social housing to every neighbourhood would mean towers of 15 to 18 storeys in Upper Kitsilano

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In our last letter we explored the “Villages Plan,” a newly announced “social housing” initiative that would add six-storey housing and retail shops within existing residential neighbourhoods throughout the city without the need for rezoning.

Compared with major land-use plans like the Broadway Plan, which allows towers of up to 25 storeys in some areas, and up to 40 storeys near rapid transit stations, who could argue with six-storeys of social housing?

But some planning critics are alarmed. Although the name of the plan conjures up visions of tiny thatched roofs and friendly high streets, the effects of the Villages will be enormous, impacting residents across 600 blocks, even larger than the area affected by the Broadway Plan.

The City ‘s recent social housing initiative in Neighbourhood Centres (Upper Kitsilano is part of a neighbourhood centre). The social housing proposals have been poorly publicized and only the closest City Hall scrutinizer would know that the City’s Planning department has been working on the initiatives since 2022. See this story by Randy Helten of City Hall Watch, published in December, 2024.

The City’s website shows that only 267 written comments, emails, and responses to the Shape Your City website were received, and that overall, 60 % of the comments were positive and supportive of the social housing initiative, 22% were mixed, expressing some concerns, but not opposing the initiative, and 18% were opposed. The Champlain Heights neighbourhood were strongly opposed to the plans, for a variety of  reasons. You can read about them here.

The latest  map (see below) of the combined social housing plans is expansive: much of Vancouver will be directly affected with six-storey and between 15 and 18-storey towers. The draft map for Upper Kitsilano includes all streets east of Alma to Vine, and from 10^th Ave to 16^th Ave — virtually the entire neighbourhood.  

The City says the two initiatives are part of its “Housing Vancouver Plan,” a 10-year strategy that would provide more affordable housing for people of all incomes, that prioritizes non-profit social, supportive, and co-operative housing.

Responding to new Provincial legislation, Vancouver City Council approved the Vancouver Plan, a major land use plan for the city, in 2022. It will soon become the City’s Official Development Plan. At that point, public hearings for social housing developments would no longer be required.

The Social Housing Plans would be run by government and social housing providers, and priority would be given to rental housing projects. To speed up development, the City has employed a three-year action plan (2024 – 2026) that calls for social housing in every neighbourhood. (Although, the City’s recent maps do not show what the social housing plan holds for many neighbourhoods.)

Yet, just as the term “Villages” is a misnomer for what is planned for citywide construction, “Social Housing” is even more misleading. On its face, the name suggests housing for the poor. But BC Housing’s income limits for the private market do not mesh with the actual incomes of average families. Many key workers in the city make too much to meet the social housing requirements, and not nearly enough to afford the market rental prices. Worse, the City’s current definition of social housing is a mix of 70% market rental and a maximum of 30% below-market rental. How, then, will new projects envisioned by for-profit developers ever be enough to house those living at or below the poverty line?

Retired Vancouver Architect Brian Palmquist is well acquainted with the City’s social housing plans and has written extensively about them. Here, in his own Substack, “City Conversations,” he explains why he cannot support the Plan. 

See BC Housing’s current Income Limits

“So, Palmquist explains, 70% of the folks living in so-called social housing can have incomes above these limits. Noticing these income limits must be net incomes, since rent is paid by after tax money, this means social housing is NOT for: starting teachers ($60,000 gross); starting nurses ($60-69,000 gross depending on overtime/shifts); starting firefighters in Vancouver ($72,000 gross). So folks in those important jobs do not qualify for even a one-bed social housing unit—they must be part of the 70% for whom there are no rent guidelines. Those 70% are at least required to remain as rentals.”

Former Vancouver City Councillor Colleen Hardwick, who recently announced she will be running for a seat in the municipal by-election expected this spring, says the City’s social housing initiatives are examples of poor City planning because they are not backed up by any data.

“The City is promoting growth with an ‘If you build it, they will come’ mentality. It’s all about profit, not the public good,” she said.

UKRA will be following the story as more information comes to light. The Open Houses for the Villages and Neighbourhood Centre Plans, and two surveys on the City’s Shape Your City website, have now closed. There may be other chances for the public to comment before the final plans go to Council in the fourth quarter of 2025.

For more information, contact the City’s Planning department at 604-873-7000. Chief planner for the City of Vancouver is Josh White.