The Rental Housing Crisis is a Municipal Election Priority. Are You Ready to Take a Deep Dive Into What it Takes to Get Purpose-Built Rental Built in Your Community?
Elected municipal representatives have many responsibilities – from developing regulatory policies and bylaws to overseeing city services – but the choices they make on land-use and housing development are perhaps the most impactful and longest lasting decisions for the entire community.
This is especially true in municipalities with very low vacancy rates and a high demand for new purpose-built rental housing, such as in Metro Vancouver. Despite that, some community members and groups are determined to maintain the status quo and hinder construction of much needed new homes for our growing population, even when it results in serious negative consequences for renters today and tomorrow.
Elected councillors can help solve the rental housing crisis by proactively creating municipal plans that incentivize building purpose-built rentals and voting on land-use policies and zoning bylaws that promote growth and development. Elected local representatives therefore need to understand the basics of the development process, including financial considerations, in order to make educated decisions when voting on new rental developments and approving zoning changes.
On September 20th, LandlordBC, BC Housing and Chard Development will deliver an informative educational event for Metro Vancouver mayoral and council candidates. The event will provide insight into the opportunities and challenges to building purpose-built rental housing in our communities and will provide a deep dive into the entire process, from the early stages of land acquisition, through project design and right to the day shovels are in the ground. Emphasis will be on the financial considerations and the critical role municipalities and their political leaders play in the process. We encourage you to share this event with your local candidates and urge them to attend. This event is only open to declared mayoral or council candidates. For more information, visit www.landlordbc.ca/election