Housing
The profile of the District resident of today has changed significantly from that of 20 years ago. During this time there has been a noticeable demographic shift from a younger family-oriented community towards more seniors with fewer young adults and children.
Our housing mix, comprised largely of detached single family homes, has not kept pace with the needs of this changing community profile. Providing more diverse and affordable housing choice is needed for seniors, young singles, couples, and families with children so that a wide mix of ages can thrive together and ensure a healthy, diverse and vibrant community. Emergency, transitional and social housing is also needed to support vulnerable populations.
Our objective is to increase housing choices across the full continuum of housing needs.
2030 HOUSING TARGET: A net increase in rental housing units (overall percentage)
Housing diversity
The network of centres concept provides important opportunities for increasing housing diversity and approximately 75 - 90% of future development will be directed to the four planned centres.
While growth will be restricted in detached residential areas, opportunities will exist to sensitively introduce appropriate housing choices such as coach houses, duplexes, and small lot infill that respect and enhance neighbourhood character. Some flexibility is encouraged to enable residents to better age in place, live closer to schools, or have a mortgage helper.
Reaching our housing diversity objective
Our objective is to provide more options to suit different residents’ ages, needs and incomes.
We plan to achieve this by taking these actions:
- Encourage and facilitate a broad range of market, non-market and supportive housing
- Undertake Neighbourhood Infill plans and/or Housing Action Plans, where appropriate to:
- identify potential townhouse, row house, triplex and duplex areas near designated Town and Village Centres, neighbourhood commercial uses and public schools
- designate additional Small Lot Infill Areas
- develop criteria and identify suitable areas to support detached accessory dwellings (such as coach houses, backyard cottages and laneway housing)
- Develop design guidelines to assist in ensuring the form and character of new multifamily development contributes to the character of existing neighbourhoods and to ensure a high standard of design in the new Town and Village Centres
- Encourage and facilitate a wide range of multifamily housing sizes, including units suitable for families with an appropriate number of bedrooms, and smaller apartment units
- Require accessibility features in new multifamily developments where feasible and appropriate
Rental housing
Entry into home ownership is increasingly challenging given the high housing prices in the District. Rental housing typically offers more affordable options for mid-to-low income groups, which may include single parents, students, young families and seniors.
Reaching our rental housing objective
Our objective is to provide more alternatives to home ownership. Currently, only 18% of the dwellings in the District are rental.
We plan to achieve this by taking these actions:
- Explore increasing the maximum permitted size of secondary suites
- Consider permitting secondary suites or lock-off units within townhouses, row houses and apartments
- Encourage the retention of existing rental units, and the development of new, through development, zoning and other incentives
- Facilitate rental replacement through redevelopment
- Continue to limit the conversion of rental units to strata title ownership and require, where possible and appropriate, that new strata units be available for rental
- Establish a minimum acceptable standard of maintenance for rental properties
- Develop a rental and affordable housing strategy through Housing Action Plan(s) and/or Centres Implementation Plans
- Support, where appropriate, parking reductions for purpose built market and affordable rental units
- Encourage the provision of student housing at or near the campus of Capilano University
- Support the addition of ancillary rental housing on church sites where additional development can be accommodated
Housing affordability
Lack of affordable housing in the District is often cited as a factor contributing to the loss of our “missing generation” of 20-40-year-olds and the inability of many local employers to find and retain staff. With approximately 2,645 households in core need of appropriate housing and 1,460 households spending at least half of their income on housing, our lack of affordability is widely felt.
Reaching our housing affordability objective
Our objective is to formulate development strategies and work with community partners and senior levels of government to provide housing for modest to moderate income residents.
We plan to achieve it by taking these actions:
- Reflect District housing priorities through an appropriate mix, type and size of affordable housing
- Focus a higher proportion of affordable housing in designated growth areas
- Apply incentives (including, but not limited to density bonussing, pre-zoning and reduced parking requirements) as appropriate, to encourage the development of affordable housing
- Require, where appropriate, that large multifamily developments contribute to the provision of affordable housing by, but not limited to:
- including a portion of affordable rental or ownership units as part of the project
- providing land dedicated for affordable housing
- providing a payment-in-lieu to address affordable housing
- Expand the District’s Affordable Housing Fund to receive funds from non-municipal sources
- Facilitate options for affordable housing and advocate the Federal government to develop a national housing strategy for affordable housing, working with community partners and the Province
- Consider incentives such as reduced Development Cost Charges to facilitate affordable rental housing
Non-market housing and homelessness
Emergency, transitional and supportive housing is needed to provide access to the full continuum of housing in the District. This section addresses the housing needs of our growing homeless population, those most at risk of homelessness, those with substance abuse and mental health issues, seniors who need support to remain living independently and others. Provision of such housing requires funding that the District cannot address on its own.
Reaching our non-market housing objective
Our objective is to work with senior levels of government and social service providers to support our most disadvantaged residents.
- Encourage non-profits, supportive housing groups, developers, senior levels of government and others to develop or facilitate the development of
- transitional housing for homeless adults, families and youth
- supportive housing for those with mental health and/or addiction issues
- independent living units for people with disabilities
- assisted living facilities for people with cognitive and/or developmental disabilities
- Explore opportunities for social housing, co-operative and innovative housing solutions, working with community partners
- Provide municipal land or infrastructure for services to vulnerable populations by continuing to facilitate lease policies for community facilities
- Consider the use of District land, where appropriate, to contribute towards and leverage other funding for the development of social and affordable housing
- Encourage other levels of government to contribute financial support and/or a portion of surplus lands towards appropriate and affordable housing for those with special needs
- Continue to support regional efforts to eliminate and prevent homelessness on the North Shore
- Continue to support non-profit agencies that provide short-term emergency and transitional shelter, food and access to social services for those in need
- Support community partners in providing a full continuum of support services to address issues related to mental health, addictions, health services, housing, employment, and food security; and to provide assistance for homeless people to facilitate their transition to independent living