As the City of Burnaby charges ahead with plans to become the first B.C. municipality to use new rental zoning powers, a local housing expert warns the plan is likely to run into unexpected challenges.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first one on the beach that gets shot,鈥� said Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University鈥檚 City Program.
The province gave B.C. municipalities the power to zone for rental housing in May and Burnaby announced it wanted to be the first 鈥� a decision that came after years of harsh criticism for its handling of so-called 鈥渄emovictions鈥� in Metrotown.聽
The city鈥檚 mayor and council passed first reading of a proposed amendment to its existing zoning bylaws on Monday at its last meeting before the Oct. 20 election.聽聽
Yan said the could lay the framework for how rental zoning is handled in the Lower Mainland. But many cities are likely waiting to learn from Burnaby鈥檚 mistakes.
鈥淚t's the second mouse that gets the cheese,鈥� he said.
But Coun. Colleen Jordan, who chairs the city鈥檚 community development committee, said the city is taking a measured approach. The changes currently under consideration are merely the first stage on the path to implementation, she said.聽
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Burnaby lost 712 rental units between 2010 and 2017. During that same period, most cities in the region gained units, including Vancouver, which saw a net gain of nearly 2,500.
Many of the losses in Burnaby came from Metrotown, where several purpose-built rentals were razed to make way for condo towers. This dented the region鈥檚 鈥減ool of rental stock for the working population,鈥� said Yan.
Jordan echoed an explanation for the figures that Mayor Derek Corrigan gave the NOW during a on Monday. She said the 麻豆传媒映画created those new rental units in large part by incentivizing developers and that many of those new units are unaffordable to individuals with average incomes.聽
鈥淲e don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 right for taxpayers to support market rental with public money,鈥� Jordan said.
Yan said there鈥檚 truth to that analysis, but 鈥渋f anything, it also amplifies the magnitude of what was being lost in the City of Burnaby.鈥澛犅�
鈥淚 think that that really highlights why this type of zoning law needs to come into play, not only in Burnaby but then throughout the region,鈥� Yan said.
The plan
The zoning framework lays out some ground rules for what may become the province鈥檚 first rental zoning.
It would allow for the creation of sub-districts within existing multi-family residential (RM) zoning. This would allow council to mandate a developer replace demolished apartment units with new units on a one-to-one basis, Jordan said.聽
She said the replacement ratio is one of the 鈥渇undamental goals鈥� of the initiative.
There is also a plan for more rental units above businesses in areas zoned as commercial districts. The report says many commercial buildings do not use all their allowable floor space and permitting rental units on the second floor and above 鈥渞epresents an innovative approach to the creation of new rental supply.鈥�
The plan also lays out minimum sizes for rental units 鈥� 322 sq. ft. studio, 538 sq. ft. one bedroom, 699 sq. ft. two bedroom, etc.聽
This, Yan said, would prevent developers from building micro-suites, which make for a better return on investment, but not long-term family homes. As homeownership becomes more out of reach, he said governments need to protect rental units.
City staff also recommended reducing the amount of off-street parking required per unit. Both the report and Yan noted that studies have found renters typically require fewer parking spaces.聽
Yan said it鈥檚 important that Burnaby鈥檚 rental stock remains concentrated around transit hubs 鈥� especially SkyTrain stations (see map). Transit-oriented affordable rental stock is crucial to making Metro 麻豆传媒映画a livable place in the years to come, he said.
The zoning framework, however, leaves a big question unanswered.
Will rent be affordable?
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only the size; it鈥檚 not only the rental; it鈥檚 about the price,鈥� Yan said.
When the city first announced its intentions to use rental zoning in July, Corrigan told the NOW he hoped replacement units would be available at similar rents.
鈥淚 don't think council wants to over-promise that they鈥檙e going to be at the same rents, but they want to get rents that are going to be much more within the means of people who are living in those previous units,鈥�
Jordan said Tuesday keeping rents low remains a priority. She said the city could cap rents for a period of time, but doing so could result in developers walking away from proposals.
鈥淭hey would say 鈥榟ave a nice life鈥� and go away and not build it,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o that's where we're going to have to be able to consult with the community and see what will work.鈥�
What comes next?
Jordan said if the current council 鈥� comprised entirely of Burnaby Citizens Association members 鈥� is re-elected Oct. 20, it will continue to work full-speed ahead on this plan. She said city staff are already working on the next phase of the plan looking at how to apply the rental zoning.
Independent mayoral candidate Mike Hurley said he wasn鈥檛 sure whether the framework would get his vote if he鈥檚 in the mayor鈥檚 chair when it comes up for second reading.
鈥淗opefully it鈥檚 a good plan,鈥� he said during an broadcast live on Facebook. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen it, so I鈥檓 not going to comment on it.鈥�
But Hurley did say he didn鈥檛 trust Corrigan to push on with the plan after the election and questioned its timing.
After Corrigan鈥檚 16 years as mayor and 31 on council, 鈥渢he light bulb has finally come on that we need this kind of housing a few weeks before an election,鈥� Hurley said.
Council candidate Rick McGowan said he and his fellow Green Party members would support the rental zoning amendment. But he too questioned its timing.
鈥淭his is election pandering by the BCA and the mayor to win votes,鈥� McGowan wrote in an email.
If elected, Burnaby First Coalition members would vote in favour of the bylaw amendment, unless they heard a compelling reason not to during consultations, a spokesperson said.
Jordan said her council has moved as quickly as possible to take advantage of the new zoning powers and that the timing is not related to the election.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not being opportunistic,鈥� she said.
While they are moving forward with some urgency, she said the city is not rushing through the process and will avoid the 鈥渇irst one on the beach gets shot鈥� scenario described by Yan. She said the process will include considerable consultation with developers and the broader community.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg,鈥� she said.
The public will have an opportunity to add their thoughts on the rental zoning plan at a public hearing on Nov. 20.
