It’s a showdown: Metro Vancouver and Ottawa face off over housing

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Good morning,

As a publication that relies heavily on readers, when we asked you, our readers, for support like we did last week, we never know how it will turn out… 

But every time, we’re overwhelmed by the outpouring of help.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into today’s newsletter. We’ve got:

• 🏘️ A housing fight between the federal government and Metro Vancouver

• 🛴 What’s going on with electric scooters

• 📅 Events to check out this week

— Geoff Sharpe, Vancity newsletter writer

HOUSING

It’s a showdown: Metro Vancouver and Ottawa face off over housing

Usually, fireworks are a summer thing, but we’re seeing them in October between Metro Vancouver and the federal government when it comes to housing policy in the region.

What happened: Metro Vancouver’s board of directors, made up councillors and mayors from the region’s municipalities, voted to increase the development cost charges levied on new housing developments by two to three times the existing rate, which are used to pay for infrastructure upgrades, according to Global. 

The problem: The federal government warned Metro Vancouver that the fee increase ran counter to the federal government's goal of getting more housing built, and could impact local municipalities' ability to receive money from the $4-billion housing accelerator fund.

• Background: The federal government has successfully forced other cities to change their policies, such as increasing density, in exchange for the funds. 

Metro’s response: Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West who supported the fee increase, said the federal government was just playing politics, saying he did not believe affordable housing would be built by scrapping the fee, according to CityNews. He also noted the policy was in the works for a long time. 

Fraser’s response: Federal housing funding announcements in the region were paused earlier this month when the policy was announced. The minister of housing originally asked for a one-year delay, which Metro Vancouver did not support. He pointed out that he did not oppose development charges, but rather the idea that growth should pay for growth. 

• This is the policy that new developments should fund new development infrastructure rather than taxing existing residents. 

You can read Minister Fraser’s full response here. 

 The vote: Of the 40 members in attendance who voted, 17 supported delaying the policy — essentially siding with the federal government — while 23 opposed the delay and supported implementing it, according to the Vancouver Sun. Of note, Vancouver, North Vancouver and New Westminster supported the delay. 

Reading between the lines: Fraser noted in his response to the vote that, “The federal government will be there for these cities, including with financial support through the housing accelerator fund,” referring to those cities who are “ambitious leaders” on housing. Could this mean some get funding and others don’t?

What it means: Metro Vancouver wants to frame this as developers paying their fair share. This is true, but there is another way to view it, namely, forcing costs on future residents — those purchasing a home who pay those extra costs — instead of current ones, by charging new homes to fund infrastructure instead of raising property taxes on existing residents. Like it or not, additional fees are passed through to purchasers. 

• Looking ahead: The statement by Fraser indicates one path forward, namely delaying the fee on purpose-built rentals and non-market rental units. 

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VANCOUVER NUMBERS

👮 258: The number of arrests Vancouver police made in a week period in September as part of their crackdown on chronic shoplifters, recovering $57,000 in stolen goods. [Global]

👎️ 1: In what can only be described as extremely unsurprising, this is what Vancouver ranks among Canadian cities when it comes to the affordability differential between income and house price. In other words, it’s the worst. [Vancouver Sun]

TRANSPORTATION

The state of micro-mobility devices

What happened: While we’re told to use cars less, one key part of the mobility puzzle is still unclear. Micro-mobility devices such as scooters are increasingly becoming popular, but the rules are unclear and inconsistent, according to Vancouver is Awesome. 

The situation: Vancouver is currently participating in a three-year electric scooter pilot, which started back in 2021. Currently, the BC Motor Vehicle Act doesn’t allow electric scooters, but the pilot program run in cities across BC, according to the BC Government, will help inform future changes.

• There is some confusion with the rules. Avid scooter user Gabriel Kwok was ticketed for not having insurance, according to the Vancouver Sun. There are also strict limitations on speed and braking. 

A study from Simon fraser University’s Cities, Health and Active Transportation Research in 2021 showed that 76 percent of people were supportive of e-scooters for short rides. Over half thought a shared e-scooter program would be good for the Metro Vancouver region.

• Complaints: Some bikers are raising concerns about how crowded bike lanes have become with the increase in scooter usage, according to CTV. 

Looking ahead: A plan to launch a shared e-scooter program in Vancouver likely won’t take place until next year, according to Vancouver is Awesome. The city says they want the pilot to be revenue-neutral or generate revenue for the city. 

• One company expected to participate is Lime, which already has a pilot in North Vancouver, Richmond and Coquitlam, according to Urbanized.

The Lookout’s view: I used a Lime scooter in Austin in the summer. It was accessible, easy to use and got me around easily, meaning I didn’t need to take an Uber in a city without much transit. With that said, it was relatively expensive and the scooters were discarded everywhere. Managing how they’re placed throughout the city will likely be an important component of the pilot. 

Discover your dream job in Vancouver:

• Communications director (13-month contract) at Bosa Properties

• Senior specialist, business community at BCLC

• Senior account executive at Hootsuite

• Director of shareholder relations at BC Hydro

• Vice president operations at BC Tech

THE AGENDA

🙋 A Vancouver teen who went missing on Thursday has been found safe according to police. [Global]

🚬 The number one biggest litter item in Vancouver? You may be surprised, but it’s, in fact cigarette butts. The city estimates that 400,000 are littered every year by residents. Even as cigarette usage falls, they’re still a huge problem. [CBC]

🎃 It’s Halloween week and you know what that means — lots of parties, fun, and more parties. Police are expected to have a bigger presence in the downtown core as the festivities take place. [CTV]

🔪 A man was stabbed Saturday night on East Hastings. No arrests have been made the man was released from the hospital with minor injuries. [CityNews]

👮 It turns out a Vancouver escort who faced charges in BC for drugging and robbing a client is now facing similar charges in Calgary. [Vancouver Sun]

👎️ The Israel and Palestine conflict is having a spillover effect on local Palestinian and Israeli restaurants in Vancouver as they deal with threats of boycotts and harassment. [CVC]

👋 MEC fans will want to know this news — the company just named a new CEO, Peter Mlynsky, and he was formerly the CFO and COO of the company. [CTV]

EVENTS

The Rocky Horror Music Show | VIFF Centre — Vancity Theatre | Tomorrow, 7 pm | The cult classic returns, but this time played by musicians and singers | Tickets $35

Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl | Around the region | Nov. 1-14 | Check out tasty and limited edition croissant creations around Vancouver and the city | Free

Autumn pop-up market | Heritage Hall | This Saturday and Sunday, 11 am-5 pm | 40+ vendors to discover new artwork and more | Free

Wonder Walks: Vancouver Chinatown | Chinatown Memorial Plaza | This Saturday, 11 am | Journey through wonders and big sights in little Chinatown | Tickets $12

Elf: The Musical | Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage | Nov. 2-Dec. 31 | Come see Elf like you’ve never seen it before, as an on-stage musical | Starting at $46

Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival | Rio Theatre | Nov. 14-19 | Come see 25 of the best mountain films this year | Tickets $23

Eastside Culture Crawl | All throughout East Vancouver | Nov. 16-19, various times | One of the best art events of the year, come check out the studios of artists throughout East Vancouver | Free

Vancouver Christmas Market | Jack Poole Plaza | Nov. 16-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

Van Dusen Festival of Lights | Van Dusen Botanical Garden | Nov. 24-Jan. 7 | 15 acres adorned with lights, along with food vendors | Tickets $24

SPORTS

🏒 The Canucks lost a heartbreaker in overtime against the New York Rangers 3-4 on Saturday. The Canucks had tied the game at 15:42 in the third period. The team is still second in the standings, with 5 wins, 2 losses and 1 overtime loss. [TSN]

⚽️ The Whitecaps will have to dig themselves out of a hole in the MLS playoffs against the Los Angeles FC. The team lost 5-2, and the second game in the best-of-three series is on Nov. 5 in Vancouver. [ESPN]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• This is quite the photo of New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team visiting Vancouver almost 100 years ago. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• 92% of drivers and delivery people on Uber report that flexibility is important when choosing work. Learn more at Uber.com/FlexibilityWorks.*

• If you’re looking for incredible Taiwanese beef noodle soup, look no further than this hidden gem. 

• La Catrina Tacos is shutting down after seven years. [Vancouver is Awesome]

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GAME TIME

Today’s quiz question that you can find in the newsletter — when did Vancouver e-scooter pilot start? Reply with the correct answer and your name to be featured in the newsletter.

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