Improve Housing

Individuals and Neighbourhood Associations...

• Tell municipal councillors that you support diversity in the type, tenure and density of housing in your neighbourhood.
• Help Habitat for Humanity build a home in your neighbourhood.
• Organize your neighbourhood to support more-affordable rental housing when rezonings arise.
• Build a safe, decent and affordable secondary suite in your home.

Gonzales Neighbourhood and the City of Victoria worked together to legalize secondary suites in houses of all ages in the Gonzales Neighbourhood...

Municipal Councillors, Mayors and Planners...

• Support the Regional Housing Trust Fund.
• Reduce or waive Development Cost Charges for "more affordable" housing projects.
• Apply an affordability lens to assess each new housing development.
• Use Development Cost Charges to increase the number of homes per area.
• Integrate housing policies and strategies into Official Community Plans.
• Create Zones for more-affordable housing.
• Adopt an "affordable housing first" policy for municipally-owned land.
• Lobby senior governments for housing programs for low income households.

Esquimalt, Metchosin, North Saanich, Saanich, Saltspring Island, Victoria, View Royal and Sooke joined the Regional Housing Trust Fund, raising $770,000 annually for affordable housing. Central Saanich, Oak Bay and the Highlands made one-time contributions. The money will be used to leverage funds from other sources to build or rehabilitate an estimated 50-75 affordable housing units annually.

All 13 municipalities of the Capital Regional District Board approved a Regional Housing Affordability Strategy in March 2007. The strategy includes secretariats for Affordable Housing and Homelessness and promotes policies that encourage innovative housing solutions.

Developers and Builders...

• Apply an affordability lens when developing new housing projects.
• Work with non-profit partners to create rental housing units.
• Promote best practices in the provision of more-affordable housing.
• Redevelop older, inefficient non-profit housing.
• Fill in small lots in existing neighbourhoods.
• Donate your skills and resources to help Habitat for Humanity.

Searidge Management and the Victoria Women's Transition House Society worked together to develop a 23-unit affordable housing complex. Searidge Management paired the project with a townhouse development and was able to save development and approval cost charges.