My 2023 Holiday Greeting 'Card' - 12 new ideas to make housing more affordable and livable

Since first establishing my company in 1983, I have created annual holiday greeting cards since they are a wonderful way to keep in touch with people with whom you have been out of touch. Since 2011, the cards have often featured 12 ideas for the 12 days of Christmas. Last year's card offered 12 ways to improve the approval process, and I'm pleased to note that several were in fact adopted by the government. https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2022/12/

My 2021 Card offered 12 Gentle Density 'Missing Middle' housing ideas, some of which were adopted by both Vancouver and the province this past year. https://gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com/2021/12/gellers-2021-holiday-greeting-card.html

I know that my cards weren't the primary impetus for the changes in government policies, but I like to think that every little bit helps.

This year's card is no different. It offers 12 new ideas including a new approach to property assessments; allowing housing to be integrated with light industrial uses; a greater emphasis on home sharing and flex housing; wider application of retractable balcony glass without impacting FSR calculations; a request to stop selling density; a request for a new approach to financing growth; a call for greater application of modular housing; and individually owned fee-simple rowhouses; new incentives to retain heritage buildings; a nexus lane for prequalified applicants at city hall; and a revised local area plan for the Downtown Eastside to allow it to become a more 'normal' community with a broader mix of housing types, tenures and households. Hopefully this will stop it from remaining a crime-ridden ghetto. 

While electronic cards are not as friendly as hard copies that can be personalized, I still get a lot of enjoyment from reviewing mailing lists and sending them out. In addition, the cards sometimes help promote my projects and provoke discussions about new planning and housing ideas. 

Since many of the ideas set out in my 2021 and 2022 cards were adopted by the provincial government, I am hoping some of the ideas in this year's card will also come to fruition.