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maintaining an affordable housing market, including
private assisted living accommodation and below
average cost rental units. A strong affordable housing
market will moderate, if not eliminate, the shortfall
in publicly subsidized housing. The OCP, being a land
use plan, is in a strong position to encourage the
market to build affordable and supportive housing, by
facilitating densification and, where practical, the use
of inclusionary zoning.
Housing suitability is a growing concern in an aging
population. In embracing “aging in place” the City
must ensure the available housing is conducive to
seniors’ living. In 2011 the City adopted the provincial
Adaptable Housing standards (in the BC Building
Code) and required 50 percent of new apartments
built to those standards after 2012. In the long term,
the City should aim for their universal application as
its 80 plus population doubles.
OBJECTIVES
1. Ensure adequate, affordable, and suitable
housing in both the market and non-market
sectors.
2. Articulate the long term housing needs in terms
of pricing, location, tenure and in accordance
with household types and various social/age
groups.
3. Build a positive, informed public attitude to
various forms of affordable housing that are vital
to the City’s future growth and social well-being.
4. Maintain diverse housing choices to enable
aging in place.
5. Distribute special needs housing strategically
throughout the community for a harmonious
neighbourhood housing/household mix.
POLICIES
1. Meet current and future housing needs:
a. Providea growth capacity for 25,000additional
dwellings to meet the anticipated population
increase between 2013 and 2040.
b. Identify detailed residential growth capacity
through neighbourhood planning and as
part of the process to continuously inform
the densification strategy. (See Schedule E -
Growth Projections)
c. Support rental multi-family residential
development, secondary units, coach housing
and other forms of rental and affordable
housing.
d. Promote diverse housing designs in support of
aging in place.
e. Permit
appropriately
scaled
ground-
oriented multi-family housing in low density
neighbourhoods, subject to considerations
of the neighbourhoods’ existing form and
character and aesthetics, proximity to services,
available utility capacities, transit service and
other amenities, and other applicable OCP
policies.
f. Ensure zoning and subdivision regulations
remain sensitive to changing markets and
lifestyles, and the requirements of the
densification process, particularly in mixed
use development and innovative site planning
and building designs.
2. Encourage high quality multi-family residential
design through:
a. Development Permit Areas for form and
character enhancement in the Downtown and
other select areas
b. Multiple Family Infill Development – Design
Guidelines (Schedule C)
c. The design review process
3. Implement, monitor, and update the City’s
Affordable Housing Strategy to:
a. Ensure housing policies are inclusive and
address barriers to affordability;
b. Address housing needs for special need
groups, including those with mental health
issues, at-risk youth, and families and singles
at risk of homelessness;
c. Pursue
social
housing
development
opportunities
with
available
senior
government programs for low-income
households, especially families with children
Goal 5 - Build Healthy Attractive Communities