Vancouver City Council has approved a new bylaw to simplify and speed up building thousands of new affordable homes for low and moderate-income workers and families.

This bylaw will eliminate the rezoning process for social housing projects looking to redevelop up to six stories in parts of neighbourhoods like Kitsilano, Fairview, Marpole, Mount Pleasant, and Grandview-Woodland. This innovation will shave off a year of developing much-needed non-profit and co-op housing. And, this includes developments with childcare facilities.

Mayor Kennedy Stewart is determined to house individuals experiencing homelessness and help people stay in the city where they work by making Vancouver more affordable. The “pre-zoning” of potential social housing means that sustainable and high-quality units can be built with only a development permit, minimizing barriers to meaningful progress. 

By building more social housing, we reduce pressure on the rental housing market, which benefits every Vancouverite. Changes like these are a step toward making Vancouver work for everyone.

You can read background info here