Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald and Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy joined with other cities across the region pushing back against the province’s new housing laws, and telling government to scrap housing targets.
However, the NDP government says it’s not going backward on changes designed to create more housing, noting rents are coming down.
“A One-Size-Fits-All approach to Housing does not work in the Province of British Columbia,” MacDonald said in a Facebook post. “Proud to stand alongside 15 of my regional Mayor colleagues, all of whom face unique challenges constraints and community needs when it comes to housing.”
She and 15 other mayors are expressing “collective concerns” about provincial housing measures, including changes that will allow building four units on a standard residential lot without rezoning. They also oppose Bill 47, which requires density around transit hubs, and grocery stores and small businesses withing walking distance of homes.
The mayors a letter to Premier David Eby in late November.
MacDonald said Pitt Meadows is committed to well planned housing, but that is complicated by a land base which is 80 per cent farm land, mostly flood plain, has a regional airport, and is bisected by a major rail line.
“To force communities to permit development that doesn’t take into account infrastructure needs and limitations, tree canopy, parking, transportation factors; not to mention schools, hospitals and services is flawed and ill conceived,” she said.
Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle says the province has no plans to back down.
“We’re not going backwards when we’re seeing that these policies are making a real difference,” she said.
The government aimed to cool off the overheating housing market by introducing a slate of legislation in 2023 aimed at getting more houses built, limiting speculation, and regulating the short-term rental market.
Boyle highlighted a recent rent report as evidence of the province’s success. The latest figures show rents in B.C. are down 6.8 per cent from the same time last year, and down 8.5 per cent over the past two years. Vancouver still has the highest rental costs in the nation.
Earlier, Pitt Meadows sent a letter to Housing Minister Christine Boyle, outlining “serious concerns” with Bill M 216, the Professional Reliance Act.
Introduced as a private member’s bill, it would require municipalities to accept development submissions certified by private professionals – architect, engineer, agrologist or environmental consultant – and prevent local governments from requesting peer reviews.
“We support faster, more efficient housing approval processes, but not at the expense of public safety or local government,” said MacDonald.
Maple Ridge easily hit its housing targets set by the province in the first year.
– with files from Mark Page