How much are Vancouver residents spending on rent?

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Good morning,

As many of you saw yesterday, we just released the results of our huge summer survey. Thanks to everyone who participated. 

Most importantly, because of your feedback, we’ve put together some big plans going forward. It involves more journalism and ways to connect with the community.

As part of that, we’re launching a section in events where you can learn about new volunteer opportunities in the city. If you’re an organization that has volunteering opportunities, just send us an email with the details, and we’ll try to include them.

Let’s dive into today’s news!

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity Lookout editor

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Friday: 27 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️

Saturday: 24 🌡️ 14 | 🌤️

Sunday: 18 🌡️ 12 | 🌧️

Monday: 19 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️

HOUSING

How much are Vancouver residents spending on rent?

If you felt rent prices in Vancouver were worse than everywhere else, congrats, you were indeed correct.

What happened: A new report from Royal LePage says that a whopping 27% of Vancouver residents are spending an astonishing half their income on rent. That’s 9% higher than the Canadian average of 16%, and larger than any other city in Canada, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

A big reason is the lack of rental options, as reduced demand drives up rental unit prices. Vancouver’s vacancy rate sits at 0.9% for purpose-built rentals and traditional condos, according to CTV.

• While rental prices have grown, so too has the number of renters, with around one-third of Canadians renting rather than owning, which is much higher than the past. 

Aspirational: Around one-quarter of renters say they plan to purchase a home in the next two years, while 52% said they were not planning to purchase one. 

A different report in April painted an even worse picture, with liv.rent, an online rental community platform, noting that their data showed renters spent around 60% of their income on rent in Metro Vancouver, according to Global. 

• Prices are not the only problem for rents. BC has been dubbed the eviction capital of Canada, with 85% being no fault, meaning the landlord needed to use it or was selling it. That’s 20% higher than the national average, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Some good news: There is one little ray of sunshine, as rent prices have been the same or have fallen in the last seven months in the city. 

What it means: With housing less affordable, more people are forced to rent, which drives up rental prices across the board as more people compete for fewer spaces. The good news is that there are many new rental projects being developed in the city, including 7,200 planned for the Broadway corridor around the new subway line, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

In other news: Council approved a plan to allow upzoning in Shaughnessy, with all councillors present voting in favour, according to CTV. But staff noted that there won’t be much change in the amount of units that get developed, with only around one or two a year expected. 

We’re not number one: Victoria’s home prices jumped more than Vancouver's in April, and the amount of income needed to afford a home also rose more than in Vancouver, according to Urbanized. With that said Vancouver is still much more expensive overall.

SPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN VAN

Don’t miss out on the ultimate movie experience this summer!

Brought to you by Downtown Van, this free, family-friendly event is set to transform the heart of downtown Vancouver into an open-air theatre.

When: Every Thursday from July 4 – August 15

Where:  šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza)

Time: 5 – 11 PM

Activations begin at 5 PM and the movie begins around 9 PM (after sundown)

Learn more or follow @summermovienightsvan for all the latest updates!

VANCOUVER NUMBERS

🚆 8%: The decline in transit crimes last year compared to the year before. [CityNews]

⛺ 12: The number of remaining tents at CRAB Park. Residents say their items, like a dog’s water bowl, plants and personal belongings have been seized by the park rangers. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🔥 12: The number of fire calls that the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services had to deal with on Wednesday night. [Twitter]

CITY HALL

Outgoing Metro Vancouver chair initiates audit

I am dubbing this week Metro Vancouver Controversy Week after the organization which barely gets much coverage dominated the news cycle for the entire week…

What happened: Outgoing Metro Vancouver board chair George Harvie has ordered an independent audit of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant after the project’s costs skyrocketed by $3.17 billion to a total of $3.86 billion, according to the Vancouver Sun. 

Background: Premier David Eby and others had been calling for an investigation into how the project spiralled out of control, and the project’s timeline grew from 2020 to 2030. Lower Mainland politicians had also called on the auditor general to review the overruns. 

Controversy: Like setting fire to a home you no longer own, Harvie, according to some Metro Vancouver committee members, did not actually consult anyone before initiating the audit, and Harive will no longer be on the board as the investigation takes place. Finance committee member and Delta councillor Dylan Kruger learned about it from the news.  

Missing in action?: Metro Vancouver’s chief administrative officer Jerry Dobrovolny was not present at a finance committee meeting on Wednesday, after reports surfaced over his $700,000 salary according to Global, even though he usually attends such meetings. 

What it matters: It’s very weird timing for an outgoing chair to initiate an audit like this, especially someone who was forced out of his position by his own council in Delta. A review has already been done by Metro Vancouver, but as noted by the Vancouver Sun, much of the findings are tied up in litigation. I don’t want to be crass, but in many of these situations, it’s less about finding ways to improve processes and more about assigning blame as residents foot the bill. I hope I’m wrong this time though!

THE AGENDA

🔥 A massive fire broke out near YVR Bridgeport area last night. As of publishing this newsletter haven’t had any details about what caused it. Multiple videos showed massive billowing black smoke coming from the fire area.  [Am730Traffic]

🤮 You know what’s worse than driving through a big pile of water? Driving through a pile of water that also happens to be effluent. A sewer main broke yesterday morning at Olympic Village near Columbia Street and West 2nd Avenue. Vancouver Coastal Health is investigating and water samples are being taken at False Creek. Maybe avoid swimming there for a bit... [CityNews]

🌊 A motion before council next week brought forward by the Mayor would ask the city to look into replacing the Kitsilano Pool and fund it with money from corporations and philanthropists. Some regular pool users say they’d just rather have the pool fixed. [Vancouver Sun]

🏢 The False Creek flats in East Vancouver, the site of a future SkyTrain Station, has a development proposal before the city that would include two 35-storey rental towers and an office tower. The proposal says 20% of units would be set aside at below-market rents, with 35% of the units would be two to three bedrooms. [Vancouver Sun]

⚖️ A coalition of drug user advocacy groups is suing the federal government over their decision to end the drug decriminalization pilot in BC, saying it puts drug users at a higher risk of death. [Vancouver Sun]

💰️ Tough beat for Tesla Model 3 owners as the CleanBC Go Electric Passenger Vehicle Rebate program will no longer apply to them. The cap for cars is also being dropped from $55,000 to $50,000 so any vehicle more expensive than that will not qualify. [Drive Tesla]

🌉 There are growing calls that bridges throughout Metro Vancouver need suicide prevention barriers installed. Along Vancouver’s bridges, the city has already had more than 40 suicide-related calls this year. [Global]

LOOKOUT SURVEY

The survey results are in

For the last two weeks, we ran our summer survey, to understand how we can improve the Lookout. And now we’re excited to share the results with you!

We reviewed all your responses, tabulated the data and read through all reader submissions. We discussed internally and figured out which of all your well-thought-out ideas were possible with the resources we have. 

Here are the three things you told us:

• You want more in-depth coverage, through deeper local journalism and a focus on big city issues, and interviews with experts

• You asked for ways to get more involved in the community

• And you want additional positive news stories, but not to replace important local journalism

Our team is part-time here at the Lookout, but we’ve got a plan to do this, even if it cuts into our small budget:

1. We’re bringing on additional freelancer capacity to conduct deeper, more researched stories. Interviewing experts and contacting sources, we want to do more hard-hitting journalism.

2. With Nate's help, who you’ve seen write more newsletters, we’ll be producing one longer-form, Lookout exclusive story each month. The first one is on what cities are doing around pedestrianizing city streets in Vancouver and Canada. We can’t wait to share it!

3. Finally, we’re looking for ways to involve readers more in our journalism. You’ll hear more about that in the coming months, but we’ve got a few ideas we can’t wait to share.

EVENTS

Indigenous People’s Day hosted by Musqueam Nation | 6375 Salish Drive | Friday, June 21, 11 am | Screening of Little Deer, traditional food served | Free

Vancouver International Jazz Festival | Various locations | June 21 - 30, 2024 | The 39th Vancouver International Jazz Festival returns with over 150 performances including 50 free events from downtown to Granville Island and the North Shore | Learn more at Coastal Jazz [Sponsored]

National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration Block Party | Carnegie Community Centre | June 21, 12 pm-6 pm | Cultural sharing performances, events and more | Free

Kitsilano Showboat special National Indigenous People’s Day | Kitsilano Showboat | June 21, 7 pm | A special summer show program for the evening | Free

Museum of Anthropology | Reopening for this weekend, 10 am - 5 pm  | UBC | After an 18-month closure for upgrades to the building and its displays, MOA is back on the museum menu | Tickets $25

SummerCamp Rib & Music Fest | June 21-23, around 12 pm-8 pm | Ribs. Ribs. And more ribs. Plus music and artisan vendors. But mostly ribs | Free to attend

Rickshaw Theatre’s 15th Anniversary | Until June 22 | Multiple shows with local talent to celebrate the anniversary | Tickets

Strathcona Blocks Party | 600 to 900 block of East Hastings | June 22, 12 pm-5 pm | A kid zone, beer garden, skateboard ramp, live music and food. It’s a good ol’ fashioned block party | Free

East Side Pride 2024 | Grandview Park | June 22, 12 pm-7 pm | Pride season begins, with concerts, performances, artisan markets and food | Free

Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival | June 22-24 | Concord Pacific Plaza and False Creek | The 36th anniversary of the event and it promises to be a fun one | Free

Greek Day on Broadway | West Broadway between Macdonald and Blenheim | June 23, 11 am-9 pm | Food, entertainment, music and traditional dance, it’s fun for the whole family | Free

Bard on the Beach | Now until September, various showtimes | Sen̓áḵw / Vanier Park | Catch adaptations of Twelfth Night and Hamlet in the evening this weekend at the much-loved annual Shakespeare fest | Tickets $30

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

As part of our effort to help you connect more with the community, we’re showcasing different volunteer opportunities. If you are an organization needing volunteers, send your volunteer opportunity to us over email!

🧹 Neighbourhood cleanup program: The city is always looking for people to get involved in cleaning up neighbourhoods. You can join a clean-up, adopt a block or host a party. Learn more.

🎵 Vancouver Folk Musical Festival: The popular music festival is looking for help with the event. Contact them today. 

🧺 Brentwood Artisan Farmers’ Market: If you like being outside, the organization needs help with setup, teardown and other activities throughout the day. Sign-up today.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Review: A Spanish restaurant in Chinatown will transport you to Barcelona

Anyone who has spent time in Chinatown knows the community is, if not struggling, working through it. It being the proverbial challenges that all neighbourhoods face — gentrification, rising prices, displaced people, but intensified due to how the area was shaped. 

The neighbourhood restaurants can be transient. One day a new oyster shop will appear, the next day it’s replaced by a wine bar. That Middle Eastern restaurant will be boarded up, replaced by something else.

So it goes. Some places remain. You try to hold onto them. I no longer live in the area, but return often. Luckily a few spots remain, pushing on, making a go at it even as issues outside their control buffet them. 

To read the review and instantly subscribe to our food newsletter, click here

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Here’s a handy guide on free and paid parking for Metro Vancouver beaches. [Vancouver Sun]

• This restaurant on Main serves some of the best pasta in the city. [Vancity Lookout]

• Nothing foul here, just the courts determining that a Vancouver woman can keep guinea fowl hens as her pets. [CBC]

• 🌍 Geopolitics in <5 minutes? Get International Intrigue, the free global briefing crafted by former diplomats. Sign up for free. [Sponsored]

• Get over to UBC’s Pacific Museum of Earth to see dinosaur skeletons. I don’t need to say anything more about the exhibit because dinosaur skeletons rock. [Vancouver Sun]

• An orphaned sea otter pup is being taken care of at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue. Warning, this video is extremely cute. [Global]

Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER GUESSER

Well it seems like everyone guessed the Vancouver Guesser correctly. Congrats to Linda, June, Nancy, Gayle, Alicia, Larry, Gloria, Janet, Cathy, David, Lori, Sean, Jacqiue, Margaret and many others who guessed the Vancouver Guesser location correctly. It was indeed Nat Baily Stadium.

Today’s Wordle will leave you guessing. Play it here.