Super Tuesday

Four proposals under the Broadway Plan are all coming to council this Tuesday, November 12th, at 6:00PM. Collectively, they promise to add 728 rental homes, of which roughly 145 will be subsidized. These proposals will include a daycare, and multiple commercial spaces. They will test whether council will ensure Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy (TRPP) protections are enforced. Like many housing proposals in Vancouver, the loudest voices are those in opposition. If you are concerned, please write in or call in to express your opinion on these.

In 2022, Vancouver city council passed the Broadway Plan, a plan to allow substantially more housing in the Broadway area.

As there is already a substantial amount of housing in the Broadway area, this caused concern for many: would this drive displacement and the loss of affordable housing stock?

To address these concerns, city council included two requirements in the Broadway Plan:

1. Purpose-built rental (PBR) buildings would be required to reserve 20% of their floor space for subsidized housing. The requirement is for floor space instead of a specific number of units to ensure that subsidized housing units don’t end up being made very small to cut costs.

2. The demolition of existing rental would have to comply with a newly-expanded TRPP, guaranteeing replacement units and financial compensation to displaced tenants.

The goals of these requirements were to deliver much-needed housing, discourage displacement and, where it was unavoidable, to ensure it didn’t harm existing tenants.

This proposal is to replace three duplexes to add 170 homes, roughly 34 of which would be subsidized, as well as amenities to Kistilano. This proposal is distant from arterial roads, which is pretty rare. Often, dense housing is placed adjacent to arterial roads, forcing renters to experience increased noise and pollution.

This proposal is to replace a 35-unit low-rise apartment building to add 182 homes, 35 of which would be subsidized, to Kitsilano. As it replaces an apartment and not duplexes, it has not received much opposition. 33 of the 35 units are eligible for TRPP protections.

This proposal is to replace five duplexes to add 175 homes, roughly 35 of which would be subsidized, to Mount Pleasant. This also includes a daycare with space for 25 children. Daycare, like housing, is very scarce in Vancouver.

This proposal is to replace a commercial area to add 201 homes, roughly 41 of which would be subsidized, to Mount Pleasant, close to Mount Saint Joseph hospital. It also adds two floors of commercial space, to ensure that the neighbourhood does not lose amenities as a result of the change.

Sign up to speak or write to council to share your opinion on these proposals!