Illustration of people walking, shopping, and looking out of windows on a busy city street

Help shape Vancouver’s Social Housing Initiative

June 10 2025 –

The City of Vancouver is seeking feedback on proposed updates to Vancouver’s Social Housing Initiative. 

The revised proposal reflects feedback received from the public and interest holders during the initial phase of engagement in late 2024, along with additional technical analysis. Input received during this round of engagement will help shape the final version, which will be presented to City Council for consideration in late Q4 2025. 

Vancouver’s Social Housing Initiative is designed to accelerate the delivery of non-profit-led social and co-operative housing by streamlining the development process across the city. If approved, it would eliminate the need for individual rezonings for most social and co-operative housing projects—an often costly and unpredictable step. This would make it faster, cheaper and more efficient to deliver social housing in mid-rise and tower forms, depending on the neighbourhood type.  

Eligible projects would still need to get a Development Permit, which includes in most cases notifying surrounding properties and neighbourhood groups and collecting public comments on the proposal. 

Social housing serves a diverse population, including seniors on income assistance and others on low to moderate incomes. It encompasses various forms of affordable housing, including

  • Social housing: subsidized housing designed for low- and moderate-income households. At least 30% of the units must be affordable for individuals or families earning at or below the Provincial Housing Income Limits. All units are owned by non-profit organizations or government entities. Social housing can also include supportive housing, which provides on-site supports and services to help residents maintain stable housing, and must meet current guidelines (227 KB).
  • Co-op housing: independent, member-run organizations that provide housing to their members. Individuals become members by purchasing a share in the co-op and paying a monthly housing charge. Members actively participate in the management and governance of the co-op, working together to make decisions and maintain the community.

Vancouver’s Social Housing Initiative supports one of the Vancouver Plan’s big ideas: creating equitable housing and complete neighbourhoods. It works towards creating more inclusive neighbourhoods and addressing the significant shortage of affordable homes in Vancouver.

What’s changed in the updated proposal

  • Updated map (18.3 MB) where social housing projects could be built without site-by-site rezoning.  
  • Increased height limits for tower-form social housing to allow more flexibility across various types and sizes of sites. Development guidelines will apply to new buildings which provide direction on things such as tower spacing, amenity and open space, and interface with the public realm. 
  • Additional guidance on proposed rezoning policy for unique and large sites, including an updated map (see below) that integrates the existing rezoning policy for social housing with this new initiative, helping to streamline social housing policies city-wide.  
  • Conservation of the existing Champlain Heights forest & trail system will be included as part of this initiative.

Key benefits of Vancouver’s Social Housing Initiative

  • Faster approvals by removing the need for individual rezonings 
  • Lower costs and reduced uncertainty for non-profit developers 
  • More inclusive neighbourhoods with housing options for a range of income levels 
  • Support for provincial and regional housing goals 

Get involved and share your feedback

Join us at one of our upcoming in-person or virtual information sessions to learn more and share your input:  

  • Champlain Heights Community Centre (3350 Maquinna Drive) – June 19, 2025; 5 – 7 pm 
  • Kerrisdale Community Centre (5851 West Boulevard) – June 24, 2025; 5 – 7 pm 
  • Virtual Session – June 25, 2025; 6 – 7:30 pm 
  • Trout Lake Community Centre (3360 Victoria Drive) – June 26, 2025; 5 – 7 pm 

For more information about the updated proposal, fill out the survey between June 10 and July 8, or to register for the virtual information session, please visit: https://www.shapeyourcity.ca/social-housing.

Background

The Vancouver Plan is the City's unified city-wide land-use vision, aimed at creating a more livable, affordable, and sustainable urban environment for all residents. Adopted by City Council in July 2022, the Plan’s focus is on three Big Ideas identified through a multi-year public engagement process: creating more equitable housing and complete neighbourhoods, an economy that works for all, and climate protection and restored ecosystems. Informed by the Plan’s three core principles of Reconciliation, equity and resilience, implementation is currently underway.  

As part of the Vancouver Plan implementation, City staff are developing an Official Development Plan (ODP) with a draft expected for public review in late 2025. Another key initiative is the Villages Planning Program, approved in October 2024, which focuses on 17 of 25 identified Villages to expand housing options (including 3- to 6-storey apartments, townhouses, and multiplexes), prioritize rentals, and improve local shopping areas. Public engagement took place from late 2024 through early 2025 with additional consultation planned for late 2025 and a draft plan expected in spring 2026.  To find out more about both initiatives, visit the City’s webpage.