The Mayor's Task Force on Affordable Housing.

This mornng, Vancouver City Council will consider a staff report making a number of recommendations based on the Task Force report.  As Chair of a Roundtable that reported to the Task Force on the impacts of regulations related to Building Form and Design, I am most interested in the next steps in this process.  Unfortunately, based on conversations I have had with many people, and Letters to the Editor of today's Vancouver Sun, it is apparent that there is considerable misunderstanding regarding what is being contemplated. This is particularly true for the recommendation related to 'Thin Streets' which was not a recommendation of either my Roundtable or the Task Force. I will write further on this and other matters after the Council deliberations. However, in the meanwhile, below is the covering letter from my report which sets out a number of ideas that I am happy to see incorporated in the final Task Force Report.
March 22, 2012

Mayor Gregor Robertson and Ms. Olga Ilich,

Co-chairs, Mayor’s Task Force on Affordable Housing, City of Vancouver,

453 West 12th Avenue,

Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4, Canada

Dear Mayor Robertson and Ms. Ilich,

re: Preliminary findings of Roundtable on Building Form and Design

As Chair of the Roundtable on Building Form and Design, I am pleased to submit this preliminary report to assist the Task Force in its deliberations. As requested, we have attempted to identify zoning and building code requirements and other design regulations that may be unnecessarily adding to the cost of affordable housing.

When I first agreed to participate in this Task Force initiative, a number of people questioned whether any positive benefits would be forthcoming. They noted that many of the factors contributing to the cost of housing in Vancouver, such as the high cost of land and the impacts of foreign investment, are beyond the mandate of the City. However, as  I believe you will note from this report, there is much that the City can do to improve its zoning and building regulations to encourage the creation of a variety of more affordable housing forms. For instance, by modifying the RS zoning, it will be possible to facilitate the development of smaller, more affordable single family, duplex, semi-detached and coach house homes.

By creating new ‘transition’ zones, it will be possible for the City to encourage a broader range of more affordable rowhouse, townhouse and stacked-townhouse units. As you know, I am particularly keen to see more ‘fee-simple’ rowhouses developed in the City.

By undertaking revisions to the RT (two-family) and C-2 zones, it will be possible to facilitate an increased supply of more livable housing located close to transit and other amenities.

By reconsidering parking standards and regulations, minimum suite sizes, and changes to fire regulations and accessibility standards, additional savings can be realized.

While the City has achieved a high level of recognition for its zoning, planning and discretionary design requirements, many people believe the competing demands from various city departments are contributing to a very complex approval process and higher housing costs. They would like to see the same level of commitment to affordability that is currently being devoted to sustainability. In this regard, it is suggested that the City consider appointing an Ombudsman to adjudicate the design conflicts that often arise due to the different values and requirements of City departments.

Finally, while many may question whether reduced costs will translate into reduced prices, I am confident that by facilitating an increased housing supply and greater competition

in the marketplace, cost reductions resulting from many of the suggested measures will ultimately translate into lower prices and more affordable housing choices for the residents of Vancouver.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Geller, B.Arch, MAIBC, FCIP

Chair, Roundtable on Building Form and Design

The full report can be found here  http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/HousingAffordability-DiscussionDraft-Gellers-BuildingFormDesign.pdf