KEN Sim and the NPA team on Wednesday released their plan to tackle housing affordability. Sim highlighted many aspects of the NPA team’s attainable housing plan during the UBC Sauder Housing Policy event.
Sim called for immediately allowing two secondary suites in all detached homes as a step that offers rapid benefit to those who are struggling to find housing.
“For renters, this brings 40,000 new units within reach. For homeowners, this means new options to pay their mortgage,” said Sim.
The NPA’s attainable housing plan also includes immediate commitments to:

• Fast-track housing for low-income Vancouverites, vulnerable seniors, and people with disabilities so that housing developed by not-for-profits or in partnership with BC Housing gets built faster.
• Reduce municipal taxes, fees, and charges for laneway homes and new secondary suites that house long-term renters to make it less expensive for homeowners to add suites and offer renters more options.
• Renew outstanding co-op rental leases to provide residents with certainty and peace of mind.
• Designate city-owned lands for constructing attainable rental accommodation while maintaining 100% municipal ownership.

The NPA plan also addresses current process and policy challenges. It calls for clear and transparent criteria for community amenity contributions from housing developers to ensure that neighbourhoods benefit when they accept additional density.
Over the long term, the NPA said it will pursue diversity in housing forms to bring more laneway homes, townhomes, and stacked townhomes. Sim described these strategic initiatives as “important solutions to deal with the ‘missing middle’ of the market.”
The NPA will continue to release its platform over the coming weeks.

The team’s attainable housing plan is available at https://npavancouver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Housing-Plan.pdf