2019 Budget

What we heard is important to you

We consult each year with residents and businesses about what’s important for them. For the 2019 Budget, we heard that the following issues and preferences for City spending were the most important to you.

• |

• 

  Increase housing supply and affordability, and improve availability and supports for renters and vulnerable citizens

  Investments approved last year to improve the speed of development permit approvals will continue in 2019.

  This year’s budget also includes significant investments in affordable and social housing, with focus on alleviating homelessness and poverty. The first year of the Empty Homes Tax program generated close to $30 million, with the net revenue earmarked for affordable housing initiatives. With the launch of the short-term rental regulations in 2018, going forward, we expect to see even more rental properties become available to Vancouver residents.

  The effects of the ongoing opioid crisis and other social issues continue to put stress on our systems, our service delivery and our staff. We continue to work with health authorities and other levels of government to manage the impacts of the opioid crisis, while also exploring how we can better support those struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

• 

  Maintain and improve operations and service levels

  We are making:

  • Needed investments to improve cleanliness and litter pick up on our streets and in our parks
  • Investments in technology upgrades to ensure that we can reliably continue to meet the service expectations of our residents
• 

  Invest in public safety

  In the coming year the previously approved plan to hire more police officers and additional firefighters will continue to roll out, and funding is in place to operate a drug safe laboratory for handling of opioids and other dangerous substances.

  We will also focus on security and fire safety in parks.

• 

  Continue to build vibrant communities and public spaces that support arts, culture, and the environment

  Each year Vancouver’s streets, parks, and other public spaces host a number of large events that contribute to the city’s vitality. We are making investments to provide additional services for these types of events, including safety, traffic control and clean up, which will in turn reduce costs to event organizers.

  The operating costs of a new senior centre and three new childcare facilities are included in the budget, along with additional social and cultural grants to enrich the community.

• 

  Meet our commitments to provide safe and healthy workplaces and public spaces

  We have an obligation to meet regulatory standards and ensure that our staff and members of the community remain safe and healthy. Areas of focus for health and safety investments in the coming year include:

  • Vancouver Civic Theatres
  • The Vancouver Public Library

  We are also planning a major disaster response exercise in 2019 to ensure that our large-scale emergency plans are thorough and tested.

Key investments for 2019

The 2019 Budget includes both capital and operating investments, which are needed to make progress on the core issues in our city and to ensure the services most valued by our residents and businesses are improved.

The level of investment reflects the needs of a growing city, including housing supply, affordability, and critical social issues, while maintaining and upgrading key City infrastructure.

Operating investments

• |

• 

  House affordability: $3 million

  $3 million to address housing affordability, including:

  • Investments in non-market housing and community facilities
  • Additional resources to review housing applications
  • Support for vulnerable renters facing eviction
  • Funding for on-site, peer-based training for supportive housing residents
  • Funding for the Vancouver Rent Bank
• 

  Permits and licensing improvements: $3.1 million

  $3.1 million for second year of plan to improve permitting and licensing processes to reduce wait times for development permits and improve customer experience.

• 

  Public safety: $2.9 million

  $2.9 million to maintain and improve public safety, including the addition of police officers and firefighters.

• 

  Street and parks services: $2.1 million

  $2.1 million to improve street and parks cleaning services, including additional litter receptacles.

Capital investments

• |

• 

  One Water: $86 million

  Key investments for One Water	Amount
  Sewer main replacement	$29 million
  Water distribution main replacement	$9 million
  Water transmission main replacement	$8 million
  Expansion to sewer system to accommodate demand growth	$7 million

• 

  Transportation: $72 million 

  Key investments for transportation	Amount
  Granville Bridge upgrades	$20 million
  Bikeways and greenways	$9 million
  Repaving major arterial streets, including transit routes	$8 million

• 

  Parks and open spaces: $44 million

  Key investments for parks and open spaces	Amount
  Acquisition of park land	$10 million
  Renewal of playgrounds and water spray park	$4 million
  Design for new washrooms and fieldhouses	$2 million
  Initiate design for new parks in East Fraser Lands	$1 million
  Initiate master planning for West End waterfront parks	$1 million
  Complete Queen Elizabeth Park Master Plan	$1 million

• 

  Public safety, civic facilities, and equipment: $39 million

  Key investments for public safety, civic facilities, and equipment	Amount
  Vehicles and equipment replacement	$21 million
  City-wide facilities and strategic land/site planning	$2 million
  Master planning for the City Hall Precinct	$2 million
  Planning for the renewal of Sunset and Manitoba Yards	$1 million

• 

  Affordable housing: $30 million

  Key investments for affordable housing	Amount
  Acquiring land for affordable housing	$15 million
  Infrastructure grant program for new social housing	$8 million
  Capital to support Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency projects	$3 million
  Capital grants to upgrade single room occupancy (SRO) units	$2 million

• 

  Technology: $27 million

  Key investments for technology	Amount
  Ongoing infrastructure maintenance and expansion program for core IT infrastructure	$8 million
  Continuing replacement of end-of-life hardware	$3 million
  Data centre modernization initiatives	$2 million
  Implementation of various enterprise data and analytics tools, processes, and practices	$2 million

• 

  Renewable energy: $23 million

  Key investments for renewable energy	Amount
  Waste heat recovery expansion	$12 million
  Extension of the Neighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU) system in Southeast False Creek	$7 million

• 

  Arts and culture and community facilities: $22 million

  Key investments for arts and culture and community facilities	Amount
  Preparation for relocation of the Vancouver Archives from Vanier Park to Central Library	$2 million
  Maintenance for Heritage Hall building envelope	$2 million
  Downtown Eastside capital grant programs	$1 million
  Consulting for renewal and expansion of Marpole Branch Library	$1 million
  Design for renewal of West End Community Centre	$1 million
  Preliminary planning for renewal of Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre	$1 million

• 

  Solid waste: $15 million

  Key investments for solid waste	Amount
  Sanitation/disposal vehicles and equipment replacement	$9 million
  Installation of Landfill Gas (LFG) collection infrastructure to minimize the environmental impact of the Vancouver Landfill	$4 million

• 

  Childcare: $1 million

  Key investments for childcare	Amount
  Planning for the renewal of the childcare spaces at Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre	$0.2 million
  Ongoing capital maintenance and renovations of childcare facilities	$0.3 million