*RePlan’s focus from the outset has been to search out ways and means to secure the continuation of False Creek South as a community success story. An important part of this is to research different possible options in the way our leasehold residences could be managed in the future. At present the City leases land either with housing co-ops, market and non-market rental and special needs residences, or with some 669 individual strata leaseholders. Since this arrangement has not always been the easiest to manage and comes with some considerable disadvantages for leaseholders and landlord, there may be benefits of an alternative structure in the future, not only for leaseholders in False Creek South but for those elsewhere.
With that in mind, and consistent with its concern that affordable housing options continue to exist and, hopefully, can expand, *RePlan successfully applied for funds to investigate other options for governing housing on public lands. Very recently it has received a total of $40,000, including $10,000 from BC Housing, for a project on New Governance Models for Housing on Public Land from the Real Estate Foundation. Other supporters and partners in this project include SFU’s City Program, Vancity, the School of Community and Regional Planning, the City of Vancouver and the Co-op Housing Federation of BC.
Background and Details:
- Many condominium, co-op and non-profit rental housing developments in the Lower Mainland are faced with the expiry of their land leases in the next 20 years. Issues associated with lease end include uncertainty of tenure, the inability to affordably obtain mortgages or finance urgent repairs, as well as declining property values in real terms. These issues already affect thousands of residents and housing providers today.
- Further, some of the housing stock demands reinvestment or redevelopment. A Community Land Trust may provide an opportunity to not only resolve existing problems, but also to leverage funding and develop more housing on publicly owned land that would satisfy the need for more affordable and/or workforce housing, while giving a voice to residents in stewarding the developments in their community.
To explore how units in existing communities could be transferred into such an alternative governance model, we will undertake a public speaker series in Metro Vancouver to raise awareness about the idea of alternative forms of land governance with the primary focus being on Community Land Trusts. This will be followed by stakeholder workshops for the leadership of housing organizations and representatives of relevant public and academic institutions. At each stage of this process, the results will be summarized and made available to government officials, financial institutions, housing organizations and the general public through discussion papers via digital and print media.
If you would like further information or get involved in the process, please contact Peer-Daniel Krause (*email is hidden, JavaScript is required*).
