Burnaby politicians have spent a number of years and dollars trying to find ways to create new non-market social housing in the city, with tepid results.
So the city has decided to try a new idea to spur the creation of social housing by taking the Community Benefit Housing Fund to make city lands available for non-market housing projects.
The program is called the City Land Program for Non-Market Housing Projects and earlier this week, council approved the first two city-owned properties for the program.
The two properties are located at 7898 Eighteenth Ave. and 3802 Hastings St.
The basic idea is for the city to take density bonus money it gets from new developments and then offer city land to non-profit groups and agencies to build affordable housing.
According to a staff report, under the proposal, senior governments and/or non-profit societies would have the opportunity to develop viable city-owned housing sites at a nominal lease rate, with the land costs being offset by the housing fund.
The report noted the proposal would result in city contributions to new non-market housing on selected sites that was equivalent to the land costs, with permits, fees and servicing cost also off-set through the established housing grant program.
The city has amassed nearly $30 million in the density bonus program.
The new program received support around the council table.
Mayor Derek Corrigan argued the plan is the most workable solution to getting more social housing built without having property taxpayers taking on the burden.
“We tried everything else, and this is the newest way we’re trying to create some affordable housing and I think it’s pretty creative,” he said.
Corrigan suggested buying apartments wasn’t economically effective as looking to develop in other areas of the city, where units could be developed under not-for-profit groups.
The mayor pointed out the city’s previous efforts to create social housing units had translated into 19 units for $4 million.
Coun. Pietro Calendino also agreed the policy keeps the burden off taxpayers.
“We simply do not have the ability to take on the responsibility of providing social housing,” he said.
The next phase in the program will be a future report to the planning and development committee and council to further outline the city's non-market housing needs and priorities to establish guidelines for expressions of interest.
As for the first two sites, they were originally acquired by the city over many years, and are designated or future multi-family residential development as part of an established community plan.
