Room to grow: Building better rental stock for Vancouver families

Finding suitable and affordable housing is increasingly a challenge for families in the City of Vancouver. The City has a limited supply of primary rental units large enough for families. Most family-sized units in Vancouver are in the secondary market, which lacks the security and stability of the primary market. This study starts with a calculation of need for family-sized rental units. It finds that the Housing Vancouver Strategy will not meet anticipated need. It then reviews several of the City's current housing policies. Three policy options are presented to address the limited supply of family-sized rental units. The policies are analysed based on how well they fulfill various criteria. The paper recommends expanding the maximum size of laneway houses to enable more 3-bedroom units and using a density bonus to ensure that secure rental projects include at least 12% 3-bedroom units and at least 30% 2-bedroom units.