Four new winter response shelters announced
Wednesday 24 October 21012 - The Mayor and Premier announce that the City and Province will open four temporary winter reponse shelters to meet the needs of people living on the streets during the cold and wet weather season.
The winter response shelters will provide more than 160 spaces for homeless people from the beginning of December 2012 to the end of May 2013.
Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability releases final report
Tuesday 4 October 2012 - The Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability presented their final report to Council on 3 October and 4 October, 2012. Task Force recommendations provide a framework for progress, delivering a set of bold and pragmatic actions to confront out city's lack of affordability. Council directed staff to implement the Task Force's action plan with revisions to Actions 1, 2, 3, and 13.
Interim Rezoning Policy approved by Council
Wednesday 3 October 2012 - City Council approved an Interim Rezoning Policy for Affordable Housing, aimed at encouraging innovation and enabling real examples of ground-oriented affordable housing types. These will be tested for potential wider application in order to provide ongoing affordable housing opportunities.
More Homes, More Affordability program launched
9 August 2012 - The City is seeking proposals to build an estimated 500 new units of affordable housing on six City-owned sites, as part of the new "More Homes, More Affordability" program. This program will use partnerships to build below-market housing, which will then be operated through long-term leases with the City.
re:THINK winners announced
30 July 2012 - re:THINK winners were announced at a free event on Monday, July 30 at VanDusen Botanical Garden. The City received almost 70 ideas and 8,000 votes. Winning entries will be submitted to the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability, and will be included in the final report to Vancouver City Council. Spacing Magazine will also publish the winning entries in their Fall 2012 national edition.
re:THINK Reveal
5 July 2012 - The City unveiled the "Re:THINK Housing" competition entries, during a short program hosted by CBC Radio One's Shiral Tobin at the Roundhouse Community Centre.
"re:THINK HOUSING" open ideas competition launched
28 June 2012 - As part of the work being done by the Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability, the City has launched an open ideas competition. Aimed at anyone who is interested in affordable housing, the competition is designed to generate a broader discussion of possibilities for Vancouver's housing crisis.
Rental 100: Secured Market Rental Housing Policy
15 May 2012 - Council approved the Secured Market Rental Housing Policy, which will encourage new secured purpose-built rental housing, and builds on the lessons learned from the STIR (Short Term Incentives for Rental) pilot program.
Task Force on Housing Affordability releases initial recommendations
12 March 2012 - The Mayor's Task Force on Housing Affordability released its initial recommendations, which include a list of Quick Actions for the City:
- Fast track applications
- Use inclusionary zoning
- Leverage City assets
- Wield influence
Read the Task Force progress report
The Housing and Homelessness Strategy three-year plan is released
Thursday 28 July 2011 - The Housing and Homelessness Strategy is being implemented in 3-year "action plans," tied to capital planning. The first 3-year plan, which covers 2012-2014, is now being implemented.
Key actions of this plan include:
- Complete all 14 supportive housing sites across the city, and ensure they can be accessed by local homeless
- Enhance an ongoing incentive program to provide more secure market rental units throughout the city
- Protect, update, and enhance existing single room occupancy hotels, supportive, social, and purpose-built rental housing
- Ensure shelters, support, and social housing are located in neighbourhoods where they are most needed
- Improve the quality of existing services for the homeless and specific vulnerable populations
Download the three-year plan
Council presentations
During the course of developing this strategy, staff planners gave Council two presentations: a preliminary report, and their final recommendations. Here are their presentations:
Public involvement
In the spring of 2011, planning staff conducted the "Talk Housing with Us" engagement program.
This program gave housing stakeholders, experts, and interested community members the opportunity to present ideas, seek advice, and engage with one another to find solutions to the challenges of housing affordability and homelessness.
Over 400 people participated in the workshops, meetings, and roundtables. In addition, 2,400 people visited the related online discussion forum.
Here are some of the key documents from this process:
Background research
Here are some of the key research documents planning staff used when creating the overall housing strategy:
How the City will achieve the goals of this initiative
The Housing and Homelessness Strategy lays out the City's overall direction for housing for the next 10 years.
The strategy will be implemented through a series of 3-year action plans that will correspond to the City's capital plan cycle.
Here are the strategic directions for the first 3-year plan, from 2012-2014:
Strategic direction #1
Increase the supply of affordable housing.
Related priority actions
- Optimize the City's use of land, capital grants, incentives, and other resources to leverage and support housing partnerships.
- Refine and develop new zoning approaches, development tools, and rental incentives.
- Pursue a new business model to enhance affordable housing delivery.
Strategic direction #2
Encourage a housing mix across all neighbourhoods that enhances quality of life.
Related priority actions
- Protect the existing rental stock.
- Target low barrier shelter, supportive, and social housing.
Strategic direction #3
Provide strong leadership, and support partners to enhance housing stability.
Related priority actions
- Enhance support to renters.
- Strengthen the focus of the Urban Health Initiative on homelessness.
- Demonstrate leadership in research and innovation to create improved housing options for our diverse population.
- Focus efforts with partners on preventing and eliminating homelessness.
How staff will measure progress
Staff will establish baselines to measure and evaluate progress, and to help fine-tune priority actions, or shift focus, as necessary. A report card will be presented to Council each year to track progress.
Benchmarks
The 2021 targets for the Housing and Homelessness strategy include:
- 2,900 new supportive housing units
- 5,000 additional new social housing units
- 11,000 new market rental housing units
- 20,000 market ownership units
