“If only” have to be two of the most popular words circulating in council chambers across southwest B.C., if not the entire province.
As in, “if only other levels of government would step up.”
That was the prevailing sentiment in Burnaby council chambers Monday when councillors got an in-depth snapshot of the rental activity – uptick, construction, approvals and occupancy – across the city.
The report covered how many units are in place, how many are being built and others moving through the approval process throughout developments on city lands, non-profit-led housing developments, both market and non-market rentals and other rental units achieved through the city's Rental Use Zoning Policy (RUZP).
The report reflects statistics up to the end of September.
Of the roughly 2,700 non-market units on city lands or offered via non-profits, 287 are occupied, 265 are under construction, 207 have been approved and close to 1,900 units are under review. A further 330 units will be offered as “Burnaby affordable,” or at least 20 per cent below Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation median rents.
Those units sit on multiple properties across the city with a cumulative assessed value that ranges into the tens of millions of dollars.
“I have to say that the dollar amount that the city is providing, when you include the land, the (development cost charges) and the construction costs, it’s a heck of a lot more than what the other levels of government are providing,” lamented Coun. Pietro Calendino. “If we had to depend on the other levels of government for funding, there wouldn’t be any affordable housing or rental, no market rental being built in Burnaby.”
Most of the non-market units built or proposed on city lands prioritize low-income families or individuals, seniors, people with disabilities or other groups who have particular housing needs that are not met through the private market.
“These rental projects may advance with or without senior government funding support. Government funding is required to achieve deeper levels of affordability,” notes a city staff report from planning and building director Ed Kozak.
Numbers for non-market rentals under the RUZP include 304 units under construction, 108 approvals and more than 4,800 units under review. The stats also point to the inclusion of 1,700 others categorized as “Burnaby affordable,” along with at least 2,400 replacement units. In the event of redevelopment of existing rental buildings, city guidelines require replacement of existing rental units in the redeveloped building. Those tenants receive the right of first refusal for the replacement units provided to eligible tenants under the city's Tenant Assistance Policy.
Market rental stats, meanwhile, saw 407 units occupied, 816 under construction, 12 approvals and more than 1,200 other units in the review process.
