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Photo courtesy City of Richmond

Taking action to address affordable housing

Published 11:50 PST, Fri December 10, 2021

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We are in an affordable housing crisis. Home prices are skyrocketing and rentals are becoming increasingly unaffordable. It’s really hard for people and families to find an affordable place to live in the region. I see my own friends and family experience this.

We need housing options for low and moderate-income working families and vulnerable populations. This requires well-planned housing options with increased density and, in particular, secure rentals.

The region does not have enough purpose built rental buildings to keep up with population growth. Richmond has led the region with its Low End Market Rental (LEMR) program and the development of affordable stand-alone housing projects such as Storeys and Kiwanis Towers. Altogether, about 2,400 rental units have been provided in Richmond since 2007. Yet, more needs to be done.

Cities have policy tools available to encourage private investment to produce more purpose built rental buildings. At a recent council meeting, I proposed two amendments to incentivize the development of purpose built rental buildings in Richmond. Both were unanimously supported by Council.

The first amendment examines lower parking requirements for newly constructed, purpose built rental buildings in Richmond. We know that people have fewer cars these days due to ride sharing, car sharing, the expansion of public transit and active transportation modes. An additional floor of homes versus empty parking stalls would benefit our community.

The second amendment examines waiving Development Cost Charges (DCC) for purpose built rental buildings. These are fees collected from developers to help pay for sewers, sidewalks, and other infrastructure to support the community. While this would create a cost to the City, rental-building construction could be increased if this concept is used strategically for purpose built rentals.

The recent Canada-BC Expert Panel on Housing Affordability report includes multiple recommendations including continuous improvement, best practices related to rezoning and development permit processes, and multiple forms of increased housing density.

The report says that from 1960 to 1979, 109,950 private purpose built rental units were constructed in BC. From 2000 to 2020, unbelievably, that number fell to 33,772. According to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 52,059 affordable housing units were constructed from 1970 to 1989. This fell to 31,643 between 1990 and 2019.

Partnerships with the CMHC and BC Housing are crucial to effectively tackle the affordable housing crisis and senior levels of government have an important role. Affordable housing is more than just a municipal responsibility.

Providing a range of affordable housing options not only strengthens the fabric of our community, it helps to keep Richmond a sustainable, thriving city in the future.

For more information on Richmond’s affordable housing strategies visit richmond.ca/affordablehousing.