How does a city with a small footprint create homes for families?
That’s a big challenge for New Westminster but this city is taking steps to ensure new developments are providing units that are big enough for a family. New West is poised to become the first city in Metro Vancouver to mandate a set number of three-bedroom units in all new condominiums.
The proposed bylaw, which will be considered at a May 25 public hearing, would require multi-family owned projects to include a minimum of 30 per cent two- and three-bedroom units, and at least 10 per cent of the total project to be three bedrooms or more. In addition, multi-family rental projects would include a minimum of 25 per cent two- and three-bedroom units, with at least five per cent having three or more bedrooms.
“We will be the first municipality in Metro Vancouver to mandate a percentage of three-bedroom units. No other municipality in Metro Vancouver currently has any direction in terms of that, not even Vancouver,” Mayor Jonathan Cote told the Record. “Vancouver has a percentage for two-bedroom units, but they have nothing on three-bedroom units.”
Cote is well aware of the importance of having family-friendly housing, as he and his wife, Alix live in a three-bedroom condo in the downtown with their three young daughters. With single-family homes being unaffordable for many young families, he said the city needs to recognize the majority of its growth is going to be in multi-family units.
“I think cities have got to make sure their urban neighbourhoods are responding to the fact that more and more families are moving into multi-family units,” said Cote, who estimates there are at least 14 kids living in his downtown highrise.
Cote said the city wants to make sure families are able to live in New Westminster at all stages of their lives.
“To me, I think it is an important issue that the City of New Westminster has to address,” he said. “I know the development industry has expressed concerns about these types of restrictions, but I strongly believe the City of New Westminster is strongly within its jurisdiction to say as our city evolves and grows over time, we want to make sure we are providing housing for a variety of different age demographics and make sure there is still a place for families in our community.”
Cote said statistics show there is a growing number of children under the age of five in New West, but the numbers drop when the kids get a bit older. It’s suspected families can live in a two-bedroom apartment with young children but need to move when they have more kids or their children get a bit older.
“Unfortunately, the single-family neighbourhoods in New Westminster are really out of the affordable range of many young families today, so they are not able to find that next housing option in the City of New Westminster, whether that be a townhouse or a larger condo unit, so they are having to look outside our borders. We feel that is an issue in our city,” he said. “We want to be a city where you are able to raise a family throughout your spectrum of life.”
“I think cities have got to make sure their urban neighbourhoods are responding to the fact that more and more families are moving into multi-family units,” said the mayor, who estimates there are at least 14 kids living in his downtown highrise.
John Stark, the city’s senior social planner, said staff is recommending a two-year period where the city would observe development activity and monitor the policy’s impacts on the city.
In an effort to address affordability issues, the city is encouraging developers to build the required two- and three-bedroom units on lower floors of buildings.
“Right now, we are finding a lot of the larger three-bedroom units in New Westminster are actually penthouse units and located at the tops of buildings, which have the higher price points,” Cote said. “Part of this policy is to try and bring the larger units down to the ground into the lower end of the building so they are not always having the price premium. Traditionally, the larger units have been the penthouse units, not really thinking of families in mind. As a family, you are looking for more space. You are not necessarily looking for the most incredible view, nor are you able to pay the premium for that.”
If the city approves the family-friendly housing bylaw, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2016. Applications already being considered by the city and master-planned communities such as the Larco, Port Royal and the Brewery District developments won’t need to comply with the new requirements.
“Past development trends have been for smaller units and for more one-bedroom and studio units,” Cote said. “There’s a place in our housing market for that, but I think we have to recognize we are not just building buildings here – we are trying to build neighbourhoods.”
