How the housing crisis is changing home ownership in Vancouver

Good morning,

Swiss-cheese-looking garbage bins are not a description you’d want to apply to items that store garbage. But according to the city, these bins are used for large events for security purposes and are lined with clear plastic bags.

Here I thought some rat got a little greedy…

Today we’ve got:

• 🏠 The changing landscape of home ownership

• 🚲 A breakdown of bike highways

• 🎨 And the latest arts news

Also stay tuned for Friday for what might be the biggest thing this little newsletter has done. I’m excited and can’t wait to get your feedback.

Onwards!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout writer

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 26 🌡️ 14 | 🌤️ 

Thursday: 27 🌡️ 16 | ☀️ 

Friday: 27 🌡️ 17 | ☀️ 

HOUSING

How the housing crisis is changing home ownership in Vancouver

The housing crisis is forcing a rethink of the type of homes that get built in the city, and it means Vancouver residents will need to adjust their expectations about what it means to live a good life.

Big changes: The idyllic lifestyle we all envision for our family is a big home with a nice backyard. But that just isn’t possible in a city where housing is scarce, expensive and hard to build. Council has caught up to that reality and is proposing to change bylaws to reduce single-family home square foot maximums from 2,800 square feet to 2,400, according to the Vancouver Sun.

• The goal would be to encourage more duplexes and other missing-middle housing rather than building single-family homes.

The problem: While zoning was changed back in 2018 to facilitate more townhouses on single-family lots, a report by Simon Fraser University professor Andy Yan showed that the east side, 75 percent of homes built since 2017 were single-family homes.

• Not far enough: As noted by housing experts, the proposed changes by council that include this house size change to expand multiplexes are not nearly enough to address the scale of the housing problem.

One solution: Vancouver has a proliferation of leases, rather than outright purchasing, especially in places like False Creek. But leaseholds are expected to proliferate even more widely as universities, local governments and First Nations with the Sen̓áḵw adopt leases as a way to retain control of land, according to the Vancouver Sun.

• The upside and downside: Leases make housing more affordable, and still retain their value over time, providing an alternative path to home ownership. But some people are reticent to purchase a place they don’t actually own and purchase agreements can be complicated.

What it means: Changes to housing take a long time. It will be many years before the impact of these changes trickles down to more housing being built. But the lifestyle that my generation grew up with will likely be out of reach except for the very wealthy few. The city will need to ensure amenities for condo-living families, such as parks and playgrounds, are a key part of any development projects, to account for increased demand in community spaces.

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🚌 23: The number of days for free transit in the Fraser Valley, after transit workers went on strike for 124 days. [Daily Hive]

🚙 27.3: The number of minutes the average Vancouver resident spends commuting for work. Hopefully, they’ve got some good podcasts. [Vancouver is Aweasome]

😷 39 million: The number of COVID rapid tests the federal government has in stockpiles, without the demand from the provinces to get rid of them. [The Canadian Press]

TRANSPORTATION

More highways, but this time, for bikes

While Beach Avenue may be about to have fewer bike lanes, a report by HUB Cycling argues Vancouver needs a new highway, and this time, it’s not for drivers.

Breaking it down: The report outlines how a bike highway in Metro Vancouver would connect communities and areas that have been left of out of active transportation infrastructure, according to the Vancouver Sun. It would be especially critical as housing prices force people out to the suburbs, increasing the cost of car ownership.

• Biking on average costs people $300 per year, compared to $9,500 for a vehicle. Ouch.

The report argues for equity scoring, to understand and build out infrastructure in underserved areas, and expand bike parking and more routes. A key problem? The best infrastructure is concentrated in a tiny number of areas, leaving out many lower-income families and outlying regions.

Key components: Bike highways as proposed by HUB Cycling would be at least 5 km in length, prioritize bikers and people at intersections, have minimal slope — no steep hill climbs — and be protected from traffic.

Another report released in May 2022 by the group outlined five potential routes that could be upgraded to a bike highway:

• BC Parkway (plus extension to the Arbutus Greenway)

• BC Parkway

• Central Valley Greenway

• Adanac and Francis Union Bikeway (plus extension from downtown Vancouver to the North Shore)

• Tri-Cities to the North Shore

You can read the full report here, or just the highlights.

Zoom out: The Netherlands is a leader when it comes to these highways. They prioritize speed, access for communities, and convenience, so much so that it’s luring drivers to become bikers, according to Bloomberg.

Dig deeper: The casual biking culture in the Netherlands is fascinating when we compare it to the approach in Vancouver. Read this interview with the author of Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality. [Vox]

The Lookout’s view: Yes, yes, and more yes. Vancouver tends to take its biking infrastructure for granted, but there are models around the world of cities and regions doing biking better. Bike highways like this should be prioritized throughout the region, especially because Vancouver is one of the few major cities in Canada where seasonal weather conditions permit longer biking periods.

Share those bikes: An opinion piece in Urbanized makes the case for a regional bike share service run by TransLink. It’s worth a read.

HOUSE OF THE WEEK

If you’re in the market for a three-bedroom unit, they’re hard to find in Vancouver. Luckily there’s a sweet pad available in Vancouver for under $800,000. Though “Vancouver” may be a stretch...

…Given that it’s located at Joyce Collingwood right on the border with Burnaby. The space is tight for a three-bedroom at 949 square feet, but it’s got many extra amenities, with a clubhouse, bike room and playground.

An average condo with an average price? See how much it’ll set you back.

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labelled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

THE AGENDA

🚗 An early morning crash in Mount Pleasant left one person dead and seven others taken to the hospital. A Cadillac struck a taxi, which then struck a ride-hailing vehicle. The investigation is still quite early. It’s the third traffic death in 48 hours in Vancouver. [CBC]

🌉 Travel alert — the Pattullo Bridge will be closed Thursday from 10 pm-5 am for construction, so plan accordingly if you’re driving then. [TransLink]

❌ A JJ Bean in the Woodward’s Building is shutting down. The owner says crime has gotten out of control in the neighbourhood. [Global News]

🔥 Another fire in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood has displaced nine people. Investigators are still looking into what happened. [Vancouver Sun]

❄️ Look, if you’re part of a strata council, don’t be like this group and ban an air conditioner after it’s already been installed. [Urbanized]

💰️ Building developers are getting a nice tax break after council pushed a planned rate increase of the Development Cost Levies to next year. The purpose is to try and keep construction costs lower to encourage more development, especially as building costs rise. [Urbanized]

🏳️‍🌈 It’s a big week in Vancouver as Pride officially launches. Expect events across the city, as well as the popular Pride Parade. It’s expected 650,000 people will come out to the events. [Global News]

🪧 It was another whipsaw week of negotiations at B.C. ports. But a joint statement from the port labour workers and the ports employer says they have agreed on a deal and encourage members to ratify it. [Vancouver Sun]

🐴 A horse has died at the Vancouver Hastings Racecourse, after it suffered an extreme injury. It’s the second time a horse has been put down at the racecourse in the past seven days. [CTV]

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Vancouver has a thriving Salvadorian food scene, and now you must excuse me as I plan on a trip out to El Caracol Cafe at 5190 Victoria Dr.

ARTS

Theatre

The Firehall Arts Centre has unveiled their 2023-24 season with numerous award-winning plays and performances exploring issues like body image, environmental destruction and intercultural relationships. [Stir]

Music

Enjoy some live music at Mount Pleasant Park from Aug. 14-16 starting at 6:30 pm, featuring classical instrumental performances with flute, harp, strings and more. [Vancouver is Awesome]

The Queen of Carthage at the Music Vancouver Summer Festival is getting rave reviews, reimaging the queen for the modern age, with music and dance performances. [Stir]

Movies

Oh yeah, it’s 80s summer movies. And it wouldn’t be complete without Aliens, at VIFF this Saturday at 7:45 pm

The cult classic The Warriors, hailed for its production design and gritty reimagining of New York, plays this Thursday at the Rio. And at $11.42, that’s a price that can’t be beat.

If you’ve ever been interested in Film Noir, Cinematheque showcasing a series of the most famous movies from that era on Aug. 3 to Sept. 4.

Art

Propeller Studio is hosting a series called Reclaim + Repair: The Mahogany Project which showcases works of art featuring the popular wood. [Stir]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Even for Vancouver driving, this is surprising… [Reddit]

• TransLink has unveiled their Pride bus designed by AIDS awareness advocate and artist Joe Average. It’s got a real buzz around it. [Urbanized]

• This Vancouver tourist brochure from 1923 shows how tourism marketing has changed. There’s not an Instagram influencer anywhere! [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Congrats to the Philippines who won the Celebration of Lights fireworks competition. [Urbanized]

• Embrace your inner child by visiting the world’s largest bouncy castle starting on Aug. 12 at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. [Vancouver is Awesome]

SURVEY RESPONSES

On Monday we asked “Do you oppose the removal of the Beach Avenue bike lane to be replaced with a vehicle roadway?”

• 55 percent said yes, we need to encourage more biking

• 28 percent said no, I support the move, we need to make it easier for vehicles to get around

• 17 percent said somewhat, but there needs to be balance

We had over 282 responses from readers, which may be a new record. Clearly people feel strongly about this issue. Here are some responses, along with my own thoughts.

What do you think? Agree or disagree with my comments above? Let me know!

GAME TIME

For the next few weeks, we’ll feature parks as part of our VancouverGuesser game.

Can you name this park in Vancouver? Here’s a hint — it’s in East Vancouver. Reply with the answer and your name to be mentioned in the newsletter.