If we want more jobs, we need more homes

If we build them, Amazon may come, Anne McMullin writes.

All across North America, cities are salivating at what may be one of the biggest economic sweepstakes of all time. The winner will play host to one of North America’s largest companies, Amazon, as it seeks a second world headquarters.

The numbers for this so-called HQ2 project are staggering: A US$5-billion investment, 50,000 new jobs, average annual salaries exceeding $100,000, more than eight million square feet of space.

Fortunately, Metro Vancouver is one of the regions in the HQ2 derby — and with good reason. We are a livable, world-class city with strong schools, a talented workforce and highquality transportation infrastructure that is only getting better.

Does Vancouver have the available housing to accommodate 50,000 new employees? Of course not — but neither does any other city in the running, so we’re on level ground.

But when it comes to housing, it’s no secret that Metro has an affordability problem. Fortunately, with Amazon looking at a 10- to 15-year window, we have time to improve things if we are selected. Either way, we must take steps now before the lack of housing affordability becomes a further economic disincentive for our region.

All levels of government have imposed or increased taxes and fees in an attempt to curb demand. These measures did nothing to improve pricing or affordability. The real focus should be on increasing the supply of homes to drive competition and bring prices down for buyers.

I encourage local government leaders to look at the tangible ways they can help. We were optimistic to see the focus on housing leading up to the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Vancouver last week, but sadly, the discussions were dismissive of the real need to unlock the needed housing supply. Remember, municipalities play a critical role in house prices because they control the planning, zoning and development processes.

Recently, we have seen developers cancel both market and rental projects due to municipal development permit processing delays and excessive fees levied on rental projects. We all know that project delays for developers limit the supply, and create upward pressure on prices.

This isn’t about blame — it’s about creating solutions that will benefit us all. Municipalities can do more to streamline the development process and speed up approvals. In many cases, a developer has to navigate some 25 different steps before a project can proceed. Within those steps, there are areas of conflict and overlap.

It’s not about dropping standards. It’s about creating a better balance between tough standards and expediency.

Municipalities can also provide incentives for developments they want to encourage in their communities. Are more affordable-housing units required? Or maybe seniors’ accommodation? Municipalities can fast-track these projects to keep costs down. Want to increase transit ridership and discourage the use of single-driver cars? Plan for higher-density housing at the same time as you plan rapidtransit lines.

There are many other solutions to our housing crisis, with many of them focused on the creation of more homes, whether they’re townhomes for families, apartments for renters, laneway homes for down-sizers or micro-suites for urban hipsters who want to live in a smaller ecological footprint.

The type of homes we create will be driven by the needs of British Columbians. The important point is that we need these new homes — and we really don’t have a lot of choice.

Over the next 25 years, Metro Vancouver is expected to grow by one million people who are all going to need an affordable place to live. And that doesn’t count the economic boon that Amazon or another large-scale employer could provide.

Will Metro become the new home to Amazon? We hope so, and the Urban Development Institute is doing all we can to support the region’s bid.

Amazon has openly stated it’s looking for a host community that thinks big when it comes to development. Let’s use this chance to spur that big thinking — regardless of Amazon’s HQ2, the future of our region depends upon it.