Abundant Housing Vancouver

@ahvancouver

We are a non-partisan group of advocates supporting more housing of all types for everyone in Metro Vancouver

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Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jul 14

Peter Waldkirch was on CBC's BC Today to talk the Villages Plan! youtu.be/xQe3s6bx41s... 1/2

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jul 14

They're not the only ones. Multiple other homeowners on the border with the plan area have written in asking for their blocks to be INCLUDED. council.vancouver.ca... 2/2

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jul 14

Twenty homeowners on Monroe Crescent have signed a petition for the Villages Plan. Not to oppose it, but asking to be included! council.vancouver.ca... 1/2

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jul 13

A great letter in support of the proposed West-side Villages. "it’s no wonder that ... data show Dunbar & Arbutus Ridge, where the westside villages will be located, as the MOST expensive area in all of metro Vancouver for multi-bedroom rentals." www.abundanthousingv...

I’ll speak specifically to the west side villages along MacDonald and Mackenzie, because
those are the ones I’m most familiar with. I grew up in Dunbar, very near some of the
proposed village areas, and my family and I frequent the existing retail at 16th and
MacDonald and 33rd and Mackenzie.
As with most young people who grew up in this city, I love it here and I want to stay, but I’ve
had a hard time picturing my future here with rents so astronomically high. Now, we’ve
finally begun to see rental prices come down across the city, thanks in large part to our
vacancy rate being just back within the healthy range at 3%. But it hasn’t been equal
throughout the city: Dunbar has very few secured rental buildings, and the lowest share of
renter households of any neighbourhood in the city. Between the low supply and the
competition between families and UBC students for units, it’s no wonder that liv.rent data
shows Dunbar and Arbutus Ridge, where the westside villages will be located, as th

I’m also really excited about the housing form this plan introduces – small scale, low rise apartment buildings are something that we don’t have a lot of in Vancouver, but they’re what fill some of our most vibrant neighbourhoods, like Kitsilano, and provide fantastic, livable housing that I’ve experienced myself living in Montreal where many university
students, families, and seniors alike live in beautiful four-storey walk ups. The lower capital
cost of these buildings would enable smaller, local developers who currently build laneways
and multiplexes to take on these projects while larger towers stall with the market
downtown. Bryn Davidson of Lanefab has posted some beautiful drawings of the types of
housing his company could build under this plan I’d encourage anyone to look at if they
haven’t already, and they’d be fantastic additions to this neighbourhood.
The plan encourages a climate-friendly, healthy, and community-oriented lifestyle with

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jul 5

Metro Vancouver's Housing Data Dashboard: Despite being the core of the metro, City of Vancouver had a lower share of multi-family starts (as a % of total starts) than most major suburbs. Surrey, Burnaby, Langley, & Tri-Cities were all higher. metrovancouver.org/s...

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· May 27

Want to increase the supply 3+ bedroom homes? Building dense, market-rate apartments with mostly 1-2 bedrooms does just that, resulting in mostly 3+ bedroom vacancies after the second round of moves that were triggered by the new homes. papers.ssrn.com/sol3...

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5780364

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 29

Based on realistic scenarios given the current development pipeline, Rennie, in a report for the City of Vancouver's ODP, projects Vancouver will have around 875,000 residents by 2034. council.vancouver.ca...

https://council.vancouver.ca/20260203/documents/rr1.pdf#page=194

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 15

Likely, they do not want to give away any land value, but this prevents the market from building enough to lower prices, acting as a guaranteed floor on new condo prices as Vancouver keeps growing. Some good closing statements too: youtu.be/oaxpdez3gAo... 9/9

Metro Vancouver's population now exceeds 3 million, according to StatsCan - CBC News

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 15

As noted, the "bonus" for the 20% inclusionary zoning (below market) option @ 3 FSR is worth LESS than the smaller market-only options, so requiring it will just reduce the housing produced by 10%+ while delivering ~0 below-market units. The strata (condo) discussion is... 6/9

3.1.1.3 In the R3‑1 district, if the form of tenure for any of the residential floor area is any tenure other than residential rental tenure, the maximum floor space ratio is set out in the following table:
Maximum Floor Space Ratio by Minimum Site
Area
1,470 m 2 920 m 2 613 m 2 460 m 2
(a) on a site that does not exceed
33.5 m in depth 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.45
(b) on a corner site with a minimum site
frontage of 40.2 m 2.00 1.75 1.75 1.45
(c) all other sites 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.45

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 15

on a corner (not mid-block) can be located & purchased together. It is possible that some of the smaller options requiring less assembly may be viable, but previous similar analyses & the results of the Secured Rental Policy suggest they are not. 4/9

https://council.vancouver.ca/20260113/documents/phea2rr.pdf#page=55

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 15

It is difficult to follow the discussion without this chart. Coriolis' economic testing report, the only analysis of this publicly available, indicates that the highest-density market apartment option is just marginally viable, if 4 older houses, on adjacent 33'-wide lots,.. 3/9

3.1.1.2 In the R3‑1 district, if the form of tenure is secured as residential rental tenure for 100% of the residential
floor area:
(a) the maximum floor space ratio is set out in the following table:
Maximum Floor Space Ratio by Minimum Site
Area
1,470 m 2 920 m 2 613 m 2 460 m 2
(i) on a site that does not exceed
33.5 m in depth 2.70 2.70 2.40 1.45
(ii) on a corner site with a minimum
site frontage of 40.2 m 2.70 2.40 2.20 1.45
(iii) all other sites 2.40 2.40 2.20 1.45

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 15

Congrats to Council on approving another area rezoning to allow apartments. Special thanks to Councillor Peter Meiszner, Sarah Kirby-Yung & Lucy Maloney for asking tough questions about the lack of viability in this zone. Watch video in thread! 1/9

Map of lots rezoned to notionally allow apartments (N.B. at higher rents than today, and requiring expensive lot assembly)

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 10

And here are their quotes on housing with alt text:

(William Azaroff 1/2) So, so again, two or three things come to mind. One is we need to be in a position that any government money that could possibly flow to Vancouver does so. And that means… one of the great things is we have a very sophisticated non profit sector, co ops included, who know how to build, who have learned how to build, have seen a record amount of funding provincially, and federal over the last seven years, and we're in a good position, so let's do what we can to build that non market housing, because that is the kind of deeply affordable housing that will really make a difference.

Okay, so that's one. But we know there isn't enough money flowing to solve the crisis, so it can't just be about non market housing. We'd need 10 times the amount of investment we've had to get to even a number that would do that. So that's why I talk about, like, different built forms in different neighborhoods.

(Amanda Burrows 1/2) How are we going to fix it? Well, you know, people don't fully care about the fights between our governments, right? People care about whether they can afford a place to live, and so that's where I'm going to start first. And when it comes to the conversations that's happening, what's so interesting, it's basically around density, right? So I'm pro housing, like, bottom line, I'm pro housing, and Vancouver needs to build a lot more of it, and a lot faster, especially affordable and non market housing.

But we can't just dismiss, right, people's fears about change. We can't just say that, you know, we have to acknowledge that growth, growth really does affect people's sense of home, and that deserves respect. So the real question around these dense, you know, this density, and it's like the multi unit family and tower, is it's not really like a tower or no tower. It's about what's being built for whom, and how do we take communities along in the conversation?

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Jan 10

OneCity is holding a contested mayoral nomination, and their two candidates, William Azaroff and Amanda Burrows, were on the Cambie Report. Link to the full episode below. Here's what they had to say about housing (see follow up posts for alt text):

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 23

British Columbia has come in 2nd last on the @missingmiddleca.bsky.social HOMES report card, largely because of an unwillingness to restrain fees & unfunded inclusionary zoning imposed by cities ("Anti-Harmful Policies" on the report card), resulting in poor affordability. 1/2

Province 1. Pro-
Supply
Policies
2. Anti-
Harmful
Policies
3. Positive
Supply
Outcomes
4. Positive
Affordability
Outcomes
5. Positive
Societal
Outcomes
Total
New Brunswick A- A+ B A B- A-
Prince Edward Island B A B+ A B A-
Alberta A- B+ A- B- B+ B+
Newfoundland and
Labrador
C- A+ C A A- B+
Saskatchewan B B C+ B+ C+ B
Manitoba C+ A C+ B C+ B-
Nova Scotia B- B- B B- C B-
Quebec C- D B- A C C+
British Columbia A+ F C+ F C C-
Ontario C+ F C D D+ D

Figure 5: Avoiding Harmful and Irrelevant Housing Indicators
Indicator Weight Comments
2a) Keeping Low-
Rise Fees Low
25% High municipal fees deter homebuilding, raise costs, and push up prices for buyers. They
also lead builders to produce either very small or very large homes to manage costs, leaving
far fewer mid-sized options for the households that need them.
2b) Keeping
High-Rise Fees
Low
25% High municipal fees deter homebuilding, raise costs, and push up prices for buyers. They
also lead builders to produce either very small or very large homes to manage costs, leaving
far fewer mid-sized options for the households that need them.
2c) Avoiding Land
Transfer Taxes
10% Land transfer taxes make moving more expensive and discourage people from entering the
housing market or changing homes when their needs shift. They reduce mobility, trap
households in unsuitable homes, and make it harder for first-time buyers to save enough to
purchase. These taxes increase transaction costs witho

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 18

The North Shore News agrees: mandates from the provincial government were necessary given the gross collective failure of city halls across BC to meaningfully address the housing crisis. 1/2

Editorial: Mandating new housing is the right thing to do
If we are serious about solving the housing crisis, $2-million price tags on single-family homes is not a legacy worth saving.
North Shore News
about 15 hours ago

[David Eby in photo]

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 12

Single-stair apartments can be build on single lots (no assembly required) & have windows on two or more sides of most apartments. While we will have to wait longer for indoor SES, support for "Single Exterior Egress Stairs" is a promising step in the right direction. 2/2

BC Single Egress Stair: Findings
Industry Feedback Livability Costing
 Challenges pertaining to
fire safety
 Extensive and costly
design requirements
 National Code
development process
for SES ongoing
• Reluctance to adopt
BCBC SES if
requirements will
change in future
 Enables small-site
developments
• Most units with windows on
at least two sides
• increased daylighting
• improved cross ventilation
 Increased costs, due to
number of additional fire
and life safety provisions,
compared to other
solutions
 Ongoing maintenance
costs and inspections

Single Exterior Exit Stair & Passageway: Findings
Industry Feedback Livability Costing
 Fire safety and cost
saving benefits
 Compatible with
temperate weather
 Strong support from CBO,
VFRS and other fire safety
professionals for the
inherently smoke free
design
 Measured single stair
approach balancing fire
safety, construction cost,
liveability
 Enables small-site
developments with more
living area and less interior
circulation and exiting space
• Most units with windows
on at least two sides
• Increased daylighting
• Improved cross ventilation
• More bedrooms
 Facilitates courtyard
typology
• enhances social
connections
 Supports additional units on
levels 1 to 3
 Improved floor plate
efficiency allows more
rentable/saleable space
 Compared to the BC
SES, this design has
similar costs and density
benefits with better
safety performance
 Reduces reliance on
costly, time-consuming
land assembl

Space Efficient Scissor Stairs: Findings
Industry Feedback Livability Costing
 Competitive alternative to
BC SES for space
efficiency with two-stair
design
 Strong support from fire
professionals and VFRS,
as it allows for
conventional firefighting
techniques
 Short corridor format
supports shallow unit design
(less floor space far from
windows)
 No unit or occupant load
restriction (compared to
single egress stair
solutions)
 Alternative to standard
double-loaded corridors
 Flexible design option
without compromising
viability
 Comparable construction
costs and floor plate
efficiency to VBBL
 Compared the BCBC
SES, more attractive
solution, offering
significant floor efficiency
improvements and lower
overall cost

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 12

2nd: Thanks to @sarahkirbyyung.bsky.social for promoting and all of Council for supporting compact egress stair options for small lot apartments, including an assist from @lucymaloney.bsky.social asking for zoning that will fully legalize these important typologies... 1/2

Solutions Considered
BCBC Single Egress
Stair
Space Efficient
Scissor Stairs
Single Exterior Exit Stair
and Passageway
Application:
Up to 6 storeys
24 occupants per floor;
4 suites per floor
Application:
Up to 6 storeys
24 occupant per floor;
4 suites per floor, except 6 suites
on floors 1 to 3
Application:
Up to 6 storeys
No limit on suites per floor*
*This is a space efficient two stair solution, limited by building size (600 m 2) and egress width
• 50% Wider Stair
• Enhanced
Automatic Fire
Suppression
• Additional Smoke
Control Measures
• Reduced risk of
loss of egress
• Supports
simultaneous
egress and fire
response

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 12

Many well-intentioned policies add up to a lot of counterproductive red tape. 3/3

1. Simplify Storage Requirement & Improve FSR Exclusions
Standardized Residential Storage Requirement
• Min. 25 ft 2 per unit, flexibility to locate in-suite or external
• Simplified design and configuration requirements
Simplified and Flexible Storage FSR Exclusion
• Flat rate (up to 5% of residential floor area) that ensures
storage can continue to be excluded and enables
additional flexibility
1. Simplify Storage Requirement & Improve FSR Exclusions
Remove Maximum Limit on FSR Exclusions for Balconies & Amenities
• Removes potential barriers to larger balconies and indoor amenity rooms

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 12

This is a critical juncture where City Hall has recognized that a crash in the construction industry would not be good for anyone; leading to higher unemployment, deferred capital investments & less housing in the future. DCLs are clearly too high & used for non-growth costs. 2/3

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 12

There were a couple of smart & promising decisions at Council this week. First up: thanks to Council for approving measures to support more housing by temporarily reducing & deferring development charges and unfunded inclusionary zoning, among other measures. 1/3

Addressing Continued Challenges (staff presentation slide):
Other indicators
• Residential land transactions down
• Distressed sales up
• Layoffs in development and construction sectors
• High volume of revisited and revised projects in Rezoning.

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 8

This means a months or years-long rezoning process is not acceptable. Acting now will help avoid a spike in construction unemployment & prevent a future housing shortage by maintaining our capacity. Local modular construction investment depends on consistent demand. 4/5

Relaxation for Social Housing
Villages and Neighbourhood Centres
Proposal would allow social
housing through a Development
Permit in Villages and
Neighbourhood Centres.
Areas identified for apartment &
tower forms under Vancouver
Plan to:
• Add housing choice & affordability
• Increase employment
opportunities
• Provide more amenities & services
• Build transit-oriented communities
Social Housing Initiative Areas
Villages:
up to 3.00 FSR / ~6 storeys
Neighbourhood Centres:
up to 6.00 FSR / ~20 storeys

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 8

This is the result of 3 years of consultation, plus the years developing the Vancouver Plan, which identified these areas for buildings of this scale. Implementation of the plan has been too slow, resulting in the wrong redevelopments. This will help get back on track. 2/5

Relaxation for Social Housing
Implementing Vancouver Plan 30 year land use strategy
Vancouver Plan guides growth in
an intentional way to support
complete neighbourhoods and work
toward affordable housing and
climate goals.
Housing Vision:
Vancouver has an equitable
housing system that prioritizes
housing for those who need it
most.

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 8

Council will decide on Vancouver's Social Housing Initiative tomorrow (Tuesday). It is exactly what is needed RIGHT NOW. The need is obvious, with 73% of low-income renters spending too much on rent, not to mention crowded households due to the housing shortage. So why NOW? 1/5

Relaxation for Social Housing
Existing context and need
• 2/3 in need of housing with direct supports
• 1/3 in need of shelter rate housing
2,715 people homeless in Vancouver
• 20,195 renting seniors; and
• 8,280 lone parent households
73% of low-income renter households
spend over 30% of income on housing,
including:
6,340 households on BC Housing
waitlist for social housing, up 48% in the
past 5 years
From 2014-2023:
119%increase in price of an
eastside condo
67% increase in city-wide average
rent vs. only a 45% increase in median
incomes

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Dec 4

Come celebrate this year's successes & make plans for what's next for housing abundance. Our holiday party is Monday (Dec 8) at the Alibi Room, starts @ 5. See you there! RSVP link in thread

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Nov 27

Send your support for Vancouver's Social Housing Initiative TODAY before 5pm! The public hearing is tonight. Zoning is supposed to regulate the use & not the user, but public hearings for social housing often turn ugly & discriminatory. This zoning improvement will lead... 1/2

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Nov 21

BiV asks: Could apartment buildings come to Shaughnessy? At twice the size of the West End, Shaughnessy is missing 100,000 people!

A concept drawing by Vancouver-based Lanefab and Oori Arch shows how small apartment buildings could potentially look next to single-family homes.Lanefab/Oori Arch
Small apartment buildings of up to 12 homes should be allowed on single lots in Vancouver, which has banned them for the past century, says one policy expert.

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Nov 15

Open House for the East Villages planning program TODAY from 12-3 pm – Gymnasium, Laura Secord Elementary 2500 Lakewood Dr Tell them to legalize 6-storey apartments & condos that are actually economically viable! Especially single-stair!

Attend an in-person open house event in a neighbourhood near you:

East Villages(External link)

Saturday, November 15, from 12-3 pm – Gymnasium, Laura Secord Elementary (2500 Lakewood Drive)

Review the open house information boards for the East Villages(External link) (PDF, 58.6 MB)

Interpretation services are available in Cantonese

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Nov 13

A quick reminder that the Provincial housing mandates are worse than useless. They are set so low that they encourage city councils to celebrate their failures as successes. Thanks to Councillors Zhou, Maloney, and Meiszner for at least trying to ask some tough questions.

Net housing completions are running at about 1/3 of the City's own calculation of housing need over 10 years.

Abundant Housing Vancouver@ahvancouver· Nov 12

Our monthly happy hour is tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) at Rogue at Waterfront, starting at 5:00 pm. Come drop in and say hi! Details and RSVP in thread: 1/2