One of the most well-known hallmarks of Vancouver is its deep-seated and complex housing crisis. However, if you ask people about it, their knowledge of the issue is typically on the vague side. It appears that most of the public holds three general opinions:
- Vancouver has a homelessness problem.
- East Hastings Street is “scary.”
- Living in Vancouver is too expensive/unaffordable.
Finding a place in and around Vancouver is a great struggle for many, particularly students. The whole issue has its roots established firmly throughout the city, and its main causes can boil down to Vancouver having limited land for development, lots of foreign real estate investments, and a population increase due to more and more people moving here.
The Crisis: Facts and Figures
Rent prices have soared over the last ten years and are continuing to grow. According to the October 2023 rent report from rentals.ca, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is sitting at $2,976. Paying nearly $3,000 a month for a one-bedroom place is absurd!
On top of these high rent prices, infrastructure itself becomes an issue. There’s an alarming lack of space to house everyone who wants to live here, and with increasingly high levels of growth, the city is under strain trying to provide the necessary accommodation. According to resident-submitted reports in 2022, over 250,000 new homes would have to be built within the next five to ten years to meet housing needs in Metro Vancouver.
The long and the short of it is that there are many different, intertwined issues at play here… and a lot needs to be done for things to get better.
Current Efforts Towards Progress
On Wednesday, October 11, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim revealed details about a new, seven-point housing plan proposal. Here’s a quick look at some of the things he’s seeking to address:
- Increasing high-density housing near SkyTrain. When the stations were built back in the 1980s, they weren’t optimized for the population density they’re experiencing now, 30 years later. Sim intends to expand housing around stations like VCC–Clark, Renfrew, and Rupert.
- Nodding to Burnaby as a model city. Sim noted that Burnaby has achieved success in densification around train stations while also bringing up that having homes closer to the stations lowers the carbon footprint for the people who live in that area.
- Implementation of two dozen villages in lower-density areas. As part of the “Vancouver Plan,” 26 lower-density areas will see an increase in retail and residential buildings.
- Fixing civic/provincial bylaws around construction, building, and repairs. Working with upper-level government to show support for short-term rental enforcement at the provincial level.
- Sim plans to expand the Certified Professional program, which deals with building permits from the city.
It looks like Sim is making moves to address this complex issue, but although his plan seems comprehensive, it doesn’t really consider both affordability and infrastructure issues.
A Student’s Perspective
As a student myself, I think having access to affordable housing is something that post-secondary institutions should prioritize.
As someone who has been through the process of securing housing in this city, I’ve experienced firsthand a lot of the problems I just discussed. I’m living in residence at BCIT for the second year now, and when considering my options in terms of cost-effectiveness and convenience, it was the best choice for me.
The BCIT Burnaby campus is looking at a major housing upgrade in the future, with construction on the Tall Timber Project projected to finish in 2024. They’re currently building a twelve-storey tower that can accommodate around 470 students. An initiative like the Tall Timber Project is a great advancement, and as frustrating as the massive construction on campus may be right now, it’ll be worth it in the end.
As a student myself, I think having access to affordable housing is something that post-secondary institutions should prioritize. Whether it’s providing either on-campus residences or resources to look for accommodation elsewhere, it’s not something students should have to deal with on their own. This especially applies to a school like BCIT, which sees a high number of students commuting from outside of Burnaby.
The Future: Uncertain, but Hopeful
The housing crisis in Vancouver is not an easy one to navigate, and it’s tough to say whether it is truly solvable. Thankfully, the city is making progress toward improving things, and hopefully, a long-term solution will present itself in the future.
Want to Help?
If you’re interested in getting involved or have any ideas you’d like to share regarding the housing crisis, check out the website for the BC Non-Profit Housing Association—they host events and take proposal submissions.
Bibliography
Culbert, Lori. “How Many New Homes Does Metro Vancouver Need? .” Vancouver Sun, April 29, 2022. https://vancouversun.com/business/real-estate/many-new-homes-are-needed-in-metro-vancouver.
Greg Bowman, Martin MacMahon. “Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s Housing Plan.” CityNews Vancouver, October 12, 2023. https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/10/11/vancouver-ken-sim-housing-plan/.
“Housing Market Information Portal.” CMHC. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/hmip-pimh/en/TableMapChart/Table?TableId=2.1.31.3&GeographyId=2410&GeographyTypeId=3&DisplayAs=Table&GeograghyName=Vancouver.
Paul, David. “Vancouver’s Housing Crisis: Unraveling the Reality of North America’s Most Unaffordable City.” Medium, August 31, 2023. https://medium.com/@david.p.lemon79/vancouvers-housing-crisis-unraveling-the-reality-of-north-america-s-most-unaffordable-city-db124312f13.
“‘New Wave of Building’ in Vancouver Comes as Mayor Makes Plans to Focus on More Homes.” Business in Vancouver, October 11, 2023. https://biv.com/article/2023/10/new-wave-building-vancouver-comes-mayor-makes-plans-focus-more-homes#:~:text=Ken%20Sim%20released%20a%20seven,of%20short%2Dterm%20rental%20regulations.
Sawchyn, Brent. “Opinion: The Real Source of the B.C. Housing Crisis: Governments, Taxes and Bureaucracy.” The Globe and Mail, November 24, 2022. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-the-real-source-of-the-bc-housing-crisis-governments-taxes-and/.
Urbanation. “November 2023 Rentals.ca Report.” Rentals.ca, November 13, 2023. https://rentals.ca/national-rent-report.
