Housing and the City: Part 2 - Things the City Might be Able to Do

One of the most difficult things about our housing issues in the city is the reality that the city is limited in what it can and cannot do to address them as some of the solutions are provincial (modernization of the residential tenancy act, provincial measures to protect the domestic residential market) and some are federal (taxation and mortgage issues). At the municipal level - what can the city do to make the housing challenge more surmountable?

1. Zoning 

I am not a fan of blanket rezoning, I do not believe it will alleviate the affordability issue, and may result in a loss of what many have "bought into" when they decided to make Victoria home. People who decided Victoria was the place to be, often did so because it wasn't Vancouver, or Toronto - it was Victoria. Quaint and welcoming, a little hippy with a dash of sophistication. Many did so because they could get a good job working for either the province or the university (and now the tech sector), or they could retire. Many did so because they felt Victoria was a relatively safe city. In other cities that have ventured on "blanket rezoning" - the homes that have replaced single family homes have scarcely been more affordable. In Vancouver there are countless examples of single family homes being replaced by duplexes where each side of the duplex commands a higher price than the single family home that stood before the duplex.

While I'm not a fan of blanket rezoning - I would enthusiastically welcome a revitalization of our community plans, led by those who live in and love our community and who are vested in its future. I would be very keen to see how we can better use our resources to accommodate those who wish to call Victoria home. I would be very keen to see how we can make our communities more welcoming to small businesses. I would be very keen to see how we can be a better place for families to call home. I would be very keen to see how we can ensure our neighbourhoods are places people want to live, work and play.

While I'm not a fan of blanket rezoning, I am a fan of simplifying our zoning - there should be a core set of zones that apply and align at a regional level. Spot zoning should not occur and developers should not expect it to occur.

While I'm not a fan of blanket rezoning or spot rezoning, I would be keen to see if "conditional zoning" might be a tool that could be acceptable to the community at large. Conditional zoning would allow certain uses if a specific set of well-articulated conditions are met. It could streamline the development process, while safeguarding the core desires of the community. Many single family neighbourhoods are not against moderate density. However, there is a valid fear that if a certain development is allowed, that the flood gates for similar developments will be opened and that their community won't just evolve to accommodate a few more residents, in a few newer buildings, but rather will be transformed by bulldozers in short order. There is also a fear that rather than making their communities more amenable to families and long term residents, that such development will cater to those who are "just visiting" our wonderful city. Lastly, there is a fear that such development will come with limited benefits to the community at large (more jobs? better parks? better arts facilities? better transit? better schools? etc.). As an example - it might be a hard no to a development that replaces an aging "character" apartment building with a modern condo, however, it could be a yes if current residents of the building are accommodated fairly, if the new building comes with new amenities (ie. some commercial or community space), if the new building is going to be a co-op building or will enable first time home ownership. Conditional zoning could also enable development where "one of the suites" is owner-occupied - as many fear building governed by absentee landlords. It might also be a yes, if saying "yes" now would enable the community to say "no" later - as an example zoning that says the density for the area as a whole is X and once that is met, further density increases are not allowed.  

2. Improving the Development Process

I would also be keen to see how the development process itself can be improved in Victoria be more time efficient and cost effective. I would be keen on engaging in a process review with developers and the community to identify how the process of getting new development done can be less cumbersome. By identifying bottlenecks and duplication, we could be a city that does a better job of meeting our development needs. How can the costs of development be reduced? Maybe a city development corporation (publicly owned) could work to make the process better?

3. Making Some Kinds of Development Easy

Lastly, I would be keen on exploring ways some kinds of development can be made easy. As an example, what if the city made forming a housing co-op easy with a lot of the "homework" of doing so already done? What if the city had a set of plans that were pre-approved for those purposes (subject to finding an appropriate lot/lots)? What if the city enabled homeowners to sell their property directly to the city for the purposes of co-op development? 

I do believe there is "room to grow" in Victoria - and that there are neighbourhoods that would eagerly accept more density if it is done in a way that is compatible with community desires. I also believe that many would be overjoyed to see an enhancement of public amenities (parks, recreation and art). I further believe that how much growth should be a well-informed decision. How many more households can be supported by infrastructure? How many more students can our schools absorb - and can we work to ensure future students can find a place to learn? How many more cars can our roads handle? How can we work to enhance our park amenities?