Building BC's Future: Staring into the HOUSING Void
According to CMHC’s latest Housing Supply report (Spring 2024), Canada is on the brink of a housing crisis with more than 3.5 million additional homes needed by 2030. At its core, limited supply has led to a rapid increase in the cost of home ownership, coupled with higher rental costs due to low vacancy rates. For many young families, essential workers, students, and retirees, the affordability of housing has become a distressing concern.
Despite efforts to increase housing supply, the gap continues to widen with a complex array of contributing factors, including record population growth, rising construction costs and regulatory barriers hampering development. For an excellent and equally terrifying breakdown of the issue, we recommend reading "Our Crumbling Foundation" by CBC Journalist, Gregor Craigie.
Driving Affordable Housing for Local Teachers
In December 2022, X Architecture (XA) was approached by the Maple Ridge Teachers Association (MRTA) with a vision to transform their existing office building in the downtown area into a mixed-use, multi-story development.
The goal was to maximise the potential of their small infill lot by creating a building that would include leasable retail space, office space for the association, and a variety of affordable apartments for members. Teaching is infamous for being one of the most crucial, yet severely underpaid professions, and highlights one of the biggest challenges facing Canada’s housing market.
The project also aspired to offer work experience opportunities for students with learning difficulties, as well as offer support for parents and teachers by providing an affordable daycare service.
X’s proposed design features a concrete podium with three levels of above- and below-grade parking. The 1st floor includes a 1400 sq.ft commercial/retail frontage, with the 2nd floor providing over 4500 sq.ft of office and multipurpose amenity space (potentially hosting a drop-off daycare facility). Above the concrete podium, the building includes a 6-storey timber-framed block providing a range of studio, one- and two-bedroom units, with apartment sizes ranging from 500 sq.ft up to 800 sq.ft.
Provincial Intervention
In one of our previous posts, we unpacked three of BC’s Ministry of Housing’s amendment bills published to specifically help fast track the delivery of new homes and infrastructure. While these planning principles are promising, their success largely depends on municipalities' ability to deliver. And quickly.
One of the initial challenges facing the MRTA team was the compact size and odd shape of the 8930 sq.ft lot, which required a flexible footprint to accommodate sufficient parking spaces. Bill 47, which permits a zero parking requirement for lots within 400m of a Transit-Oriented Area (TOA), removed the immediate pressure of this requirement. This change enabled the inclusion of more accessible parking, EV charging stations, and commercial parking, while encouraging walkability and the use of public transit among residents.
A Model for Future Growth
MRTA represents an innovative approach that not only addresses the pressing need for affordable housing but also promotes sustainable urban growth. It utilises a compact infill lot, largely unsuitable for the development of middle to high end market residential condos, but ideal for affordable units. By reducing reliance on personal vehicles, the project also aligns for the broader city goals for environmental sustainability, community and pedestrian well-being. In many ways, MRTA provided an opportunity to think and address a range of social concerns and ideas in one swoop.
Challenge of Increased Density for Municipalities
One key aspect that was not addressed in the bills is that increased density requires significant investment not only in supporting services, but also in community facilities, commercial opportunities, parks and recreation spaces.
In a perfect world, local municipalities would set their own targets for growth and development, carefully considering how the increased density will impact the larger community. This approach would involve creating a clear framework that balances population growth with a proportional increase in schools, healthcare facilities, public parks, and commercial areas to create a vibrant, sustainable environment.
The reality is that most municipalities have not been able to keep pace with housing delivery, necessitating provincial intervention. As a result, the bills have forced many municipalities to scramble to meet new development targets and update existing Official Community Plans (OCPs), simultaneously rolling out new transit routes and infrastructure while keeping costs - and taxes - as low as possible.
This added complexity within an already chaotic vicious cycle has resulted in further delays to the roll out of new housing. Following a pre-application meeting at the beginning of the year, it was noted that the municipality is focused on addressing the items required by the bills, and ironically, that the assessment and approval of new developments would be delayed until these items are addressed.
As a result, construction costs increase, prices rise and the affordability of affordable housing decreases.
Way Forward
To improve housing affordability, there are a number of considerations that will need to be addressed, such as fast tracking housing construction and reexamining many of the regulations that have hampered housing development. Addressing the escalating housing crisis will demand a coordinated effort from all levels of government and the community. Stakeholders must engage in proactive planning and collaboration to ensure the delivery of adequate housing and supporting infrastructure.
From the outset, this task seems impossible. It’s a multifaceted challenge that requires inputs from federal, provincial and local governments, as well as a critical change in mindset regarding the roll out of new construction.
For more information and continued updates on this issue, visit our website or contact X Architecture.
