Route route links
- real state
- news
- Local news
The housing target legislation, the Housing Supply Act, is likely to face backlash from some BC mayors who have previously warned that enforcement of municipal land-use laws could lead to a challenge legal
Publication date:
November 21, 2022 • 0 minutes ago • 6 minutes read 51 comments In his first day in the legislature, British Columbia Premier David Eby announces two laws that would remove rent and age restrictions on strata buildings and would set affordable housing goals for municipalities, with the promise of voiding municipalities if they fail to meet the benchmarks. Photo by Darren Stone / Times Colonist archives
Content of the article
President David Eby has announced legislation to prevent strata councils from adopting restrictions against condo rentals or banning children from their strata.
Advertisement 2
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
His legislation would also set affordable housing goals for municipalities, with the promise of voiding those that don’t meet them.
Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday.
By clicking the sign up button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your junk folder.
The next issue of Sunrise presented by the Vancouver Sun will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered a problem registering you. Please try again
Content of the article
The BC Liberals called the reforms “too timid and too bureaucratic,” while the association representing the province’s 250,000 condo owners said the new rules would only benefit investors and speculators.
Some BC mayors welcomed the proposed housing targets, saying it would help municipalities push for much-needed development, while other local leaders fear the process for determining those targets will be “messy”.
The housing announcement on Eby’s fourth day as premier is an attempt by the former attorney general and housing minister to deliver on his leadership campaign promise to move fast on housing reforms .
Advertisement 3
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Amendments to the Strata Property Act, if passed, would remove all rent restrictions from all strata buildings in BC, which Eby estimates would turn thousands of vacant units into renter housing.
It would also make it illegal for strata to have age restrictions over 19 to force young families out when they have a child. “Seniors only” strata will still be allowed.
“It’s simply unacceptable that a British Columbian looking for a place to rent on Craigslist can’t find a house and someone who owns an apartment is not allowed to rent that house to that person,” Eby said at a news conference. in the rotunda of the legislature.
“It is equally unacceptable that a young couple who live in an apartment and decide to start a family have to start looking for a new home because these strata have the rule that everyone living in the unit must be 19 years or older.”.
Advertisement 4
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Eby said there are approximately 2,900 strata units that are vacant due to rent restrictions, based on the number of owners who applied for vacancy and speculation tax exemptions.
Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of BC, opposes the legislation and said it could make strata units more desirable to speculators and drive up prices.
He also noted that many strata units rent for $3,000 a month and more, so the measures would not increase the supply of affordable housing.
The new bill applies to condos built before 2010, which is when the rules were changed to prevent newer buildings from restricting the number of rental units.
The government hopes to pass the Strata Property Act before the end of the autumn session on Thursday. It will take effect immediately.
Advertisement 5
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
The second piece of legislation is the Housing Supply Act which aims to increase the housing stock in BC by setting targets for municipalities with shortages. The objectives will be set based on the housing needs reports that local governments are already required to produce every five years.
The government said the targets will initially apply to eight to 10 municipalities, determined by community plans and growth projections based on census data. The minister said that work is being done to identify these municipalities.
If the province determines that a municipality is not taking steps to meet the targets, it can step in to enforce compliance using three options:
• An adviser appointed by the Minister of Housing can review municipal processes to determine what is holding up housing starts.
Advertisement 6
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
• The Minister of Housing can issue a directive for the municipality to take specific measures.
• As a last resort, the province can issue a decree that allows it to cancel the municipality to force new housing projects.
“My hope is that we never have to use it,” Eby said of provincial override powers. The law “has teeth and must have teeth to make sure we’re achieving those goals.”
The legislation aims to speed up municipal zoning approval processes, which Eby says are outdated and delay new building construction and redevelopments. The law would enter into force in mid-2023.
The province already sets housing targets for local governments through regional growth strategies.
Advertisement 7
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
According to figures compiled by the Vancouver Builders Association, the City of North Vancouver was the only municipality of Metro Vancouver’s 21 municipalities that is building more housing than the targets set out in the Metro Vancouver 2040 Regional Growth Strategy .
Three fast-growing suburbs that have benefited over the years from billions in SkyTrain investment — Surrey, Burnaby and Coquitlam — are among those lagging behind housing goals. Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta and White Rock are between one and three percentage points below their target.
Eby, the MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, has been outspoken in his frustration with city governments blocking housing rezoning over issues like parking. He previously criticized Surrey council for rejecting a proposal by a not-for-profit group to build an apartment building for people with developmental disabilities.
Advertisement 8
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, who voted in favor of the development, said she supports the legislation and is encouraged by Eby’s promise that municipalities that meet housing targets will be rewarded with provincial cash for services.
Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch said he’s glad the province is taking a “consultative” approach to working with municipalities before taking tougher action.
However, Murdoch said it could be “messy” as the housing minister decides which eight to 10 boroughs will be targeted first under the new benchmarks.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto applauded the legislation and said other municipalities should do the same.
He said that municipalities need to accelerate the construction of affordable housing and that they cannot do it alone.
Advertisement 9
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
“We need support from the province to push us and push all local governments to (build) … more affordable housing in every neighborhood in every municipality in BC,” he said.
BC Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon said the housing reforms are “too timid, too few and too bureaucratic” and won’t dramatically increase BC’s housing supply.
“Instead of the cannon I was expecting today, we have a pop gun,” Falcon said.
BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau said she was disappointed Eby didn’t make announcements about increasing the supply of below-market housing for low-income renters. He also said the legislation does not include protection against real estate investment trusts, which allow investment groups to redevelop housing to boost shareholder profits.
Advertisement 10
This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
“We must ensure that speculators and investors do not benefit from increased supply,” Furstenau said in a statement. “This problem has been exacerbated by the federal and provincial government’s lack of investment in non-commercial housing.”
There are several aspects of Eby’s housing platform that have yet to be acted upon.
Eby’s platform called for a flipping tax to be applied to the sale of a residential property. The tax rate, which was not specified, would be higher for those who own properties for the shortest period of time and will drop to zero after two years.
He also wants to legalize secondary suites in all regions of BC and allow developers to replace…