It’s time we should expect to start seeing dramatic changes in the way that municipalities plan and approve housing.
A commentary by the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Victoria and a professional urban planner. He previously was head of real estate, sustainability, and environment for TELUS and headed B.C. Investment Management Corp.’s real estate development investment portfolio.Recent provincial announcements and focus on housing won’t make a difference unless we make changes at the local level of government.
What can be done? Build a lot more housing. At a high level, more supply means lower prices and therefore affordability. It requires a new contract in the relationship between existing and potential future residents who need a voice and seat at the planning table. Changing municipal planning practices and removing regulations that increase the cost of new housing will also help. The province should set clear new housing targets for municipalities and be prepared to take over the planning functions from municipalities are politically unwilling to provide an adequate supply of new housing.
• Modernize municipal planning by amending official plans to increase permitted densities by a significant amount to meet future demand, then ensure zoning by-laws are updated to match. This means ensuring that missing middle and all forms of housing are included. • Fees and charges need to be lower, clear, and pre-established. Growth should pay for growth, but no more. Government fees, costs, and taxes add 20-30 per cent to the cost of a new home, according to the CMHC. Building permit fees levied on all new construction should be based on cost recovery and not used as a source of unearned municipal revenue. Fees and charges should be directly and transparently tied to growth-related infrastructure improvements.
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