900 new affordable rental units planned at City-owned sites

The modular social housing project on the southeast corner of Main Street and Terminal Avenue is a VAHA project. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)

Seven properties across Vancouver owned by the municipal government could be redeveloped into new affordable rental housing projects.

The City of Vancouver announced today that its Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency (VAHA) has issued an open tender for the private sector to build approximately 900 units of affordable rental housing on the City-owned sites.

The sites will be leased by VAHA to the successful proponents, who will build and operate the new housing projects for households earning less than $80,000 per year.

“Finding secure, affordable rental housing in Vancouver is a big challenge, particularly for people with low to middle incomes,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson in a statement.

“Offering city land for development keeps housing costs down for renters, and with investments from the BC and federal governments, we can make these 900 new homes even more affordable.”

The proposed sites are:

1190 Burrard Street & 937 Davie Street: Approximately 118 units of new affordable rental housing in a new building that will also accommodate a new home for QMUNITY, Vancouver’s LGBTQ community centre
1210 Seymour Street & 560 Davie Street: About 99 units of new affordable rental housing in a mixed-use development
177 W Pender Street: Approximately 90 units of new affordable rental housing in the Downtown Eastside
3279-3297 Vanness Avenue: Approximately 69 units of new affordable rental housing in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood
1001 Kingsway: Approximately 43 units of new affordable rental housing in a mixed-use development in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood
3183 & 3245 Pierview Crescent (EFL Parcels 3 & 5A): 140 units of new affordable rental housing in the East Fraserlands
3310 Marine Way (EFL Parcel 13): Approximately 330 units of new affordable rental housing in the River District neighbourhood

Seven sites proposed for affordable housing in Vancouver. (Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency)

The City will select its development partners and establish completion timelines sometime during the first two quarters of 2018.

Separately, VAHA is also engaged in nine other affordable rental housing proposals that are currently in the planning and design phases. These projects total about 1,000 units.

Last year, Robertson said the municipal government made a formal offer to the federal government to build affordable housing projects in the City.

Approximately $250 million worth in land owned by the City was offered, and in exchange Ottawa would provide a $500-million investment to construct housing on the land, but the City has since decided to work alone on several of these sites.

As well, over the weekend, the City made public its proposal to conduct a pilot project in the Oakridge area that will mandate developers to build 1,000 new affordable homes.

Sites slated for City-planned affordable housing in Vancouver. (Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency)