Why is Housing Affordability An Environmental Issue?

May 3, 2017

A couple weeks ago, I spoke to CBC’s Pam Berman about the latest draft of the Centre Plan and expressed that my primary concern with the Plan, which is intended to direct growth in the Regional Centre for the next 15 years, is the somewhat ambiguous directions on affordable housing.

The city is limited in what they can do about housing by the Charter, but it’s still important to talk about who we’re planning for when we make plans to service upwards of 90,000 people. This discussion includes both market and non-market housing, and encompasses the creation of new housing (which the city has committed to elsewhere) but also the retention of existing affordable housing.