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Explainer: What are purpose built rentals and why do they matter?
And an update on the Gastown’s plan to make part of Water Street car-free.
Geoff Sharpe
November 20, 2023
Sponsored by
Good morning,
Okay, I spoke too soon last week. The Canucks have now lost two in a row. I will refrain from jinxing them again.
I also received a really
Today we’ve got:
Exciting news about the Gastown pedestrian pilot
A new section in the newsletter called Defined
And what readers thought about the Shaugnessy vote
Let’s get to it.
— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor
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WEATHER
Monday: 11 🌡️ 4 | 🌤️
Tuesday: 12 🌡️ 5 | 🌧️
Wednesday: 9 🌡️ 3 | 🌤️
CITY HALL
More details on car-free Gastown
What happened: More details have been released on the city’s planned pilot car-free public space in Gastown next summer, according to Urbanized.
The city will block off cars on Water Street between Richards and Cordova and the Steam Clock, as well as in the area where Powell, Alexander and Carrall Street meet. This will take place for two months in the summer.
Yes, but: The recent council has not been, shall we say, effective when it comes to car-free areas. The Yew Street pedestrian-friendly street ran only for five weeks this summer after much confusion from drivers and pedestrians. Local businesses had hoped to transform it into a plaza, rather than just a walking area, according to Vancouver is Awesome.
Urbanized reporter Kenneth Chan pointed out that, unlike the Yew Street pilot, this one is not a low-cost one but has more resources associated with it, including installation of seating and other space-activating features like new vendors.
What’s next: The Gastown Public Spaces Plan, which the car-free pilot is part of, just wrapped up consultations. The next step is the pilot project in the summer, followed by input on the draft plan that includes much more than just a car-free pilot, and then the final plan presentation to council in the fall of 2025.
VANCOUVER NUMBERS
💰️ $3.5 billion: How much Metro Vancouver is asking for from the federal government to fund the new sewage treatment plant and more affordable housing. It would cover one-third of the expected cost of the plant at Iona Island near YVR. [Urbanized]
🌊 $166,000: The amount in fines Metro Vancouver residents received for breaking water restriction rules. The worst was Vancouver at 168, followed by Coquitlam at 154 and North Vancouver at 100. Per capita, Vancouver is doing pretty well! [CBC]
🪧 7: The number of weeks that the Rogers Sugar refinery workers have been on strike, which is impacting local bakeries’ ability to find affordable sugar. Rogers workers say their employer wants to bring in non-stop work operations and reduce weekends. [CBC]
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Dreams on Wheels, a community of car enthusiasts with a passion for making a difference, invites everyone to contribute to this event.
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Local jobs are selected by the Lookout team and are not paid ads, unless specifically noted.
DEFINED
What are purpose-built rental homes?
Sometimes there are a lot of confusing words that get thrown around when talking about Vancouver news. Today I’m trying a new infrequent section where I quickly explain what some of these words mean.
What is it: Purpose-built rentals are housing complexes built for rental housing, for the long term and are meant only to be rented. This is an important part of the housing stock, as they are not able to be taken off the rental market by landlords, according to Urbanized. They’re a critical component of any city’s rental housing stock.
Context: More than half of Vancouver residents are renters, so these types of diverse housing options are critical.
The situation: Purpose-built rentals have been increasing in recent years, according to the Vancouver Sun, because of previous record low-interest rates as well as government support.
How things have changed: Historically, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation had been a huge builder of these types of units. But that changed after 1992. Individual housing investors have helped fill that gap.
But…: The problems are obvious. Investors who purchase these homes seek higher profits and many people plowed money into purchasing condos, which had helped prop up the rental market. These types of rentals are less secure — landlords have multiple options to remove tenants.
Many units are older and now require fixing, which mom-and-pop landlords cannot do, so landlords raise rents.
Looking ahead: The federal government is seeking to fill part of this gap in Vancouver, with an announcement of $500 million worth of loans to developers to build this type of housing back in August, according to CityNews.
Dig deeper: This is a hefty policy document so be warned. But if you’re looking to understand purpose-built rentals in more detail, you can read this study on the barriers to implementing more purpose-built rentals in Metro Vancouver. You can also read about Vancouver’s purpose-built rental plans.
THE AGENDA
🪧 The lead Starbucks union organizer at a location in Dunbar, which was eventually closed, has now lost her job. She said it was retaliation for unionizing and not because of her job performance, noting that she has worked at Starbucks for five years and never had any previous complaints. [Vancouver Sun]
💻 Rogers Communications technicians in Metro Vancouver have reached a tentative agreement last Friday night to avert a strike, with a ratification vote taking place today. [CityNews]
👮 Police are asking for help to identify a woman whose body was found at Drake and Hornby in May. There is no criminal investigation into her death at the moment. [CTV]
🚲 Granville and Cambie could see some road space set aside for active transportation, between the South Granville and Broadway-City Hall stations, with a study planned to take place. [Urbanized]
🔍 Police have released photos of two suspects who police say were allegedly involved in a triple stabbing just over a year ago at Oak Street and West Broadway. [CBC]
🏒 The Canucks lost 3-4 against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. The team is now 12-5-1 and sits second in the Pacific Division standings. [The Province]
SURVEY
Thanks to everyone who voted on what they thought about city hall’s decision to oppose density in Shaughnessy. Here’s the vote breakdown:
And here’s what some readers said. Thanks again for the thoughtful responses:
Reader: The logic seems to be if you can afford a huge lot close to the city centre why shouldn’t you have it? But if you’re pushing for densification elsewhere, not doing it in Shaughnessy smacks of corruption. Also, preserving the character doesn’t seem to have been an issue in many other neighborhoods in Vancouver.
Geoff: It was an odd argument that the homeowner made and I can’t say it engendered much sympathy!
Reader: Instead of this issue, have the city tackle the Little Mountain housing project that bulldozed housing, received money from the city and hasn’t built a single dwelling in 15 years.
Geoff: I wholeheartedly agree. That whole issue is deeply frustrating. But I think we can focus on multiple things.
Reader: This was a political move by the councillors who presented the motion. They knew how ABC would vote and wanted to try to embarrass them with it. I don't care either way but think there are many other neighbourhoods closer to transit that should be densified much sooner.
Geoff: Yes, though as a councillor who isn’t in the majority governing party, Christine Boyle’s only real effective mechanism to affect change within council is to highlight issues like this in the public sphere. Sometimes embarrassment gets elected officials to change cource (though clearly not in this case).
EVENT GUIDE
Vancouver Christmas Market | Jack Poole Plaza | Now until Dec. 24 | One of the best Christmas festivals in the city, come celebrate the Christmas spirit with food, drinks and other vendors | Starting at $15.99
Indiefest re:Naissance Opera | Around town | Now until Nov. 26 | New opera, virtual reality it’s all about imaginative forms of storytelling from diverse artists | Tickets $15-$35
Chutzpah Festival | Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre | Now until Nov. 23 | Come see dance, music, theatre and comedy through the lens of Jewish experiences and stories | Tickets $40
European Union Film Festival 2023 | Cinematheque | Now until Nov. 30 | Contemporary European cinema from 27 EU members | Tickets $12
Van Dusen Festival of Lights | Van Dusen Botanical Garden | Nov. 24-Jan. 7 | 15 acres adorned with lights, along with food vendors | Tickets $24
Whisky x Cheese Pairing Class II | Taste of Legacy, 1633 Manitoba St. | Nov. 26, 12 pm | Immerse yourself in whiskey and cheese pairings, with six locally crafted whisky experts | Tickets $65
Bad Weather | Lili & Vince, 3175 W Broadway | Dec. 2, 6:30 pm | Come by this second-hand vintage and antique store to see a local Vancouver band | Tickets $33
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Here’s the proposed design for the community centre in the River District. [Urbanized]
Great discussion here about Ukrainian bakeries. My personal favourite is Kozak in Gastown. [Reddit]
It sounds like the Rolling Stones might be coming to Vancouver… [Vancouver is Awesome]
Congrats to everyone over at the Vancouver subreddit which just hit 500,000 members. It’s a great place for discussion about city issues, so I encourage all my readers to check it out. [Reddit]
Seth Rogan took time out of his busy schedule to stop by Little Bird Dim Sum in Kitsilano. [Urbanized]
Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.
GAME TIME
Congrats to Guerric, Noel, Kevin C., Dan, Marco E., Marina, James Francis Garcia who all guessed the correct location of the intersection, at Commercial and Hastings.
Today’s Wordle is easy for those who read the newsletter. Can you guess it? Play now.
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