37 more municipalities find themselves on the province's housing naughty list
The province is revealing its housing cards, as 37 more municipalities have been identified as the next group that will be required to create housing targets in their communities to help combat the ongoing housing shortfall.
“They are trying to look at which communities have grown a lot and which communities have shied away from growth,” said Philip MacKellar, a volunteer with Homes For Living, a housing advocacy group.
MacKellar applauds last week’s provincial announcement naming the first 10 municipalities to be put on the list, including Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay.
“The province is saying everybody needs to build more housing,” said MacKellar.
As for when the next 37 will be added, the province isn’t saying. Instead, it says 16 to 20 municipalities per fiscal year will be added to the list over the next three years.
“The timeline I think will be important,” said MacKellar. “Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.”
Of the 37 municipalities, 16 Island communities have been targeted for the next round, including Nanaimo.
“I don’t know what more this city could possibly do,” said Leonard Krog, the mayor of Nanaimo.
Krog says his council has approved virtually every building application that has come before it over the past four years.
He says it’s time for the province to do its share of the heavy lifting.
“If the province wants more housing built, the private sector here has been doing a lot. They have to step up to the plate to build the housing for people who can’t afford it,” said Krog.
“Whatever we’re doing right now is not working,” said Luke Mari with Aryze Developments.
Aryze Developments focuses on multi-family dwellings. The development company is currently building a six-storey, 57-unit rental building in Quadra Village. From a developer standpoint, expanding the list is a good thing.
“Every environmental, social, economic outcome that we want in our province is connected to people being securely housed,” said Mari.
Ultimately, the goal is to remove municipal red tape -- tape that could stall a project for years.
“We had a four-storey rental building, 70 units that took five years to get approved, and our costs increased by $11 million during that period of time,” said Mari, adding the increase drove up the costs of rent in the end.
“Whether this makes a difference or not will really depend on the targets the province implements,” said MacKellar.
He says the policy could potentially have a huge impact on turning around B.C.’s housing shortfall if the targets are aggressive enough and properly enforced by the province.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.