Here are the minutes of the October 3 Vancouver City Council meeting that adopted recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force on “Affordable” Housing. Further analysis will come later. Image on the left is the map shown to the Council during the meeting. Note differences if any between official statements in the media versus the exact wording of the motion — it is only the the adopted text that really counts. Bolding is ours. Comments are welcome. Note the record of voting by individuals and as a bloc. Download PDF: CoV PTE Ctee minutes, 3-Oct-2012, Mayor Task Force etc, ptec20121003min. (Note that these minutes must be read with reference to the actual Task Force report Mayor Task Force Housing Affordability Final Report 25-Sept-2012).
Food for thought: Regular Council meetings are held every two weeks. Next meeting is October 16. Why did Mayor Robertson and his team insist that these recommendations be adopted immediately?
Excerpt, minutes, Standing Committee on Planning, Transportation and Environment meeting on October 3, 2012,
4. Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability
September 25, 2012
Vancouver City Council, at its meeting on October 2, 2012, referred this matter to the
Standing Committee on Planning, Transportation and Environment meeting on
October 3, 2012, in order to hear from speakers.
David McLellan, Deputy City Manager, Abi Bond, Assistant Director, Housing Policy and Matt Shillito, Assistant Director, Community Planning responded to questions.
The Committee heard from seventeen speakers; one who spoke in support of the recommendations and sixteen who spoke in opposition.
Note: This part in blue italics is duplicated in the final text adopted, so you can skip reading and go to further below.
MOVED by Mayor Robertson
THAT the Committee recommend to Council
A. THAT Council receive the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability (Bold Ideas Towards an Affordable City), including the results of the re:THINK HOUSING competition and the web-based Place Speak survey attached as Appendix B of the Administrative Report dated September 25, 2012, entitled “Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability”, and thank the members of the Task Force for their work.
B. THAT Council direct staff to implement the action plan in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated September 25, 2012, entitled “Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability”, with the following revisions:
Action 1: Implement an Interim Rezoning Policy that increases affordable housing choices in Vancouver’s neighbourhoods
• The maximum number of affordable housing rezoning applications be 20, and limited to 2 within ten blocks on any arterial, to maintain neighbourhood character;
• Staff present the interim affordable housing rezoning policy to all of the City’s citizen advisory committees for feedback, as well as distribute it to all neighbourhood advisory groups for feedback;
• Staff reconvene the Talk Housing to Us Renters’ Roundtable to seek feedback on the interim affordable housing rezoning policy; and
• Staff report back by June 1st, 2013, with an affordable housing rezoning policy that incorporates this feedback.
Action 2: Implement the Thin Street concept
• Consider the Thin Streets concept as part of the Community Plans currently underway in Marpole, Grandview-Woodland and the West End, to see where there is interest in opting in, and include any options for locations, types of affordable housing, increases in green/park space, and community feedback in the final reports for the end of 2013.
Action 3: Develop an operational and organizational model for a City-owned Housing Authority
• Move the project completion date up to Q3 2013.
Action 13: Evaluate the City’s rental protection regulations (Rate of Change)
• Move the project completion date up to Q3 2013 and a preliminary report by the end of Q1 2013.
CARRIED
AMENDMENT MOVED by Councillor Carr
THAT recommendation B be struck and replaced with the following:
B. THAT consideration of actions be postponed until Council has held Special Council Meeting(s), scheduled in the evening, to hear input from the public and deliberate on that input and that Council undertake in-depth public meetings and consultation during evening hours, in each of the identified 22 city areas and include the citizen input in the final report and recommendations.
LOST
(Councillors Deal, Jang, Meggs, Reimer, Stevenson, Tang and Mayor Robertson opposed)
For the vote, the Committee requested to separate the components of the motion and the Action items contained in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated September 25, 2012, entitled “Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability”.
A. THAT Council receive the final report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability (Bold Ideas Towards an Affordable City), including the results of the re:THINK HOUSING competition and the web-based Place Speak survey attached as Appendix B of the Administrative Report dated September 25, 2012, entitled “Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability”, and thank the members of the Task Force for their work.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
B. THAT Council direct staff to implement the action plan in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated September 25, 2012, entitled “Final Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability”, with revisions to Actions 1, 2, 3 and 13.
Action 1: Implement an Interim Rezoning Policy that increases affordable housing choices in Vancouver’s neighbourhoods
• The maximum number of affordable housing rezoning applications be 20, and limited to 2 within ten blocks on any arterial, to maintain neighbourhood character;
• Staff present the interim affordable housing rezoning policy to all of the City’s citizen advisory committees for feedback, as well as distribute it to all neighbourhood advisory groups for feedback;
• Staff reconvene the Talk Housing to Us Renters’ Roundtable to seek feedback on the interim affordable housing rezoning policy;
• Staff report back by June 1st, 2013, with an affordable housing rezoning policy that incorporates this feedback.
CityHallWatch comment: Words to watch are indicated in italics. How does the Mayor define “interim,” “maintain neighbourhood character,” and “neighbourhood advisory groups”?
Action 2: Implement the Thin Street concept
• Consider the Thin Streets concept as part of the Community Plans currently underway in Marpole, Grandview-Woodland and the West End, to see where there is interest in opting in, and include any options for locations, types of affordable housing, increases in green/park space, and community feedback in the final reports for the end of 2013.
CityHallWatch comment: Who determines “where there is interest in opting in” and how?
Action 3: Develop an operational and organizational model for a City-owned Housing Authority
• Move the project completion date up to Q3 2013.
Action 4: Use current community planning programs to increase the supply of affordable housing
Action 5: Revise and clarify the City’s inclusionary housing policies (20% Policy) to enhance flexibility
Action 6: Identify additional City-owned land that may be underused and begin planning works to bring these sites forward for affordable housing development
Action 7: Increase housing supply and options in strategic locations throughout the City
Action 8: Increase the supply of additional secondary rental units
• Expand laneway housing to additional single family zones;
• Explore feasibility of laneway housing in duplex zones;
• Expand the zoning districts and housing forms for secondary suites (e.g. row houses); and
• Consult with industry on revisions to BBL to require “suite readiness”.
Action 9: Create opportunities for the development of more co-housing projects
Action 10: Enhance the City’s family housing requirements
Action 11: Support the development of Community Land Trusts and new financing mechanisms
Action 12: Evaluate the impacts of expiring federal operating agreements and City-lease expiry and develop options
Action 13: Evaluate the City’s rental protection regulations (Rate of Change)
• Move the project completion date up to Q3 2013 and a preliminary report by the end of Q1 2013.
Action 14: Develop and implement rezoning and permit process improvements
Action 15: Take steps to provide applicants more certainty in the City’s approach to financing the infrastructure and amenities needed to accommodate growth
CARRIED
(Councillors Affleck, Ball and Carr opposed to Actions 1 and 3)
(Councillors Affleck and Ball opposed to Actions 5, 6, 11 and 13)
(Councillor Carr opposed to Actions 8 and 14)
(Councillor Affleck opposed to Actions 10 and 12)
