Vancouver Laneway Housing Permits Now Available

Laneway Housing has been a term bandied about in Vancouver for some time. It was a core principal of the Eco-Density initiative that our previous mayor Sam Sullivan put forward. In theory city council approved laneway housing for Vancouver back in October 2008. However, no permits were given as the details of the building codes and bylaws had yet to be worked out.

This changed as of July 29th, 2009. The bylaws were in place, and as of that Wednesday morning the City of Vancouver was taking applications for laneway housing. There will apparently be 100 permits granted in the first year and city staff will then analyze how well it’s working. On July 29th reports claimed that there were a couple dozen homeowners in line hoping to be amongst the first to be granted one of the coveted permits.

Personally, I love the idea. I think that it will change the city for the better. We’ll have greater rental stock, more housing options, and I believe that it will also make for more friendly, welcoming laneways. In general, it appears that much of the city is in favour of the change. However, there are some smaller, very vocal pockets of resistance. Some people worry about increased density, a cash-grab by city hall, and a lack of parking.

What do you think?

Please Donate

On June 22nd, 2009 I broke the record for the most ascents of the Grouse Grind for charity. The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation is an incredible organization which is there to help women and children suffering from domestic abuse. Of every dollar donated, 100% goes directly to those in need (Royal LePage covers all administrative costs of the charity).