Vancouver exploring how to add more co-op housing

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Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung will present a motion Wednesday to jump-start building more co-op housing on city-owned land.

“With past federal support terminated decades ago, and existing co-ops aging, there hasn’t been a viable, scalable path forward toward the renewal and creation of significant amounts of new, sustainable, affordable co-op housing,” the ABC councillor states in the motion.

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There are 6,400 units of co-op housing in Vancouver and the ABC party campaigned on doubling that number within its mandate.

More than half of Vancouver’s 100 existing co-op developments — with about 3,700 units — are on city-owned land. The motion asks staff to find ways to build new co-op housing that is already home to such developments. It also directs  staff to research opportunities to work with non-profit partners, such as the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C.

Thom Armstrong, CEO of the federation, said he’s encouraged by the motion.

“It’s quite common to hear people say they like co-ops, they think there should be more co-ops, they wish they could get into a co-op,” Armstrong said.

“That’s all been nice, but what we’ve been missing is a commitment to work with (non-profit organizations like) us to build more co-ops. This motion would, at least, open the door to it if it were adopted, so I’m kind of excited. I think it’s a bit of a historic opportunity.”

Proponents say one advantage of partnering with non-profits, such as the federation, is the land trust models and ability to build and manage larger numbers of units, which widely spreads costs.

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The federation’s Community Land Trust is a real estate development arm that acquires, develops and stewards co-ops and other forms of community-led housing. The trusts are a way to separate the ownership of land from the cost of building and maintaining homes.

“It’s to take advantage of economies of scale and to create opportunities to build larger communities. We have that capacity. This is the first time the city has said, ‘Let’s have a look at this approach as it applies to our entire inventory of co-op sites,” said Armstrong.

The motion describes co-ops as making up about 23 per cent of the city’s non-market housing assets by land area, and 27 per cent of all non-market housing units on city-owned land.

The motion comes as many co-op land leases are set to expire in the coming decades. Most co-op sites are also low density and could accommodate new co-ops with an increased number of units, according to the motion.

Much of the Champlain Heights area in East Vancouver is made up of co-op units on prepaid, 99-year leases with the city that expire in the 2080s.

There are also co-op townhomes built in the 1970s on about 80 acres of land in False Creek South between the Cambie and Burrard bridges. The motion specifically asks for input from residents and community groups in the False Creek South area, who have opposed previous redevelopment plans.

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“I’m pleased it’s getting attention. I’m hopeful for the best of outcomes and for there to be dialogue, meaningful dialogue,” said Graham McGarva, community planning group chair at RePlan, a committee at the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association.

RePlan was started years ago by volunteer residents, designers and urban planners to engage the city to plan for the next steps after co-op leases expire, and to provide solutions for added density.

McGarva — a founding principal of an architecture firm and an urban planner who worked with the city on Concord Pacific Place, International Village and the 2010 Olympic Village — said that the city has tried online surveys or presented an asset management plan to residents “out of the blue.”

In the fall of 2021, city council had to reject a plan prepared by its real estate and facilities department for redeveloping the False Creek South leasehold community after strong protest from the community.

“We can help canvas the community and help the city understand: here are our priorities and aspirations,” said McGarva.

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jlee-young@postmedia.com

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