1885 E Pender St rezoning application

Thank you for your comment and expressed desire regarding social housing across the City. Social housing is permitted across the entire City in Community Vision and Community Plan areas.

The public benefits strategy of the Grandview Woodland Community Plan includes the provision of 1,400 non-market rental units and 1,400 secured market rental units by 2041. The City of Vancouver tracks the public benefits that have been achieved since the adoption of the Grandview Woodland Community Plan, and updates are completed bi-annually. The information below was current up to June 30, 2020. Since the plan’s adoption in 2016:

• 0 market and non-market units have been constructed;
• 62 secured market rental units are under construction, which represent approximately 5% of the 1,400-unit secured market rental unit target;
• 386 market and non-market rental units have been approved by Council, but have not begun construction;
• Approximately 409 market and non-market rental units are in the review process, but have not been considered by Council;
• All of these units range in size from studios to 3-bedroom units, while around 1/3 of them are 2- and 3-bedroom units.

The applicant has stated that they do not wish to build any more than six storeys at this location.

This application proposes a common indoor amenity room at grade with a wheel-chair accessible washroom and kitchenette, located next to a common outdoor amenity area with outdoor seating and a children’s play area. These spaces are designed for the use of future COOP members, such as for hosting meetings, gatherings or other social events. All ground floor residential units will also have patios and semi-private garden spaces. No rooftop garden is proposed in this application.

This rezoning application seeks to permit the construction of a 6-storey social housing, apartment building to house the Aaron Webster Housing Cooperative. The Aaron Webster Housing Cooperative first opened on this property in 1987 and provided 31 secured and long term housing units in the Grandview-Woodland area. Due to building envelope issues, the original building had to be demolished. The developer, the Community Land Trust, is a non-profit organization and proposes to build a 6-storey, 64 unit apartment building to house the residents of the Aaron Webster Housing Cooperative. 

Units will cater to a mix of household incomes and types. 20% of units will be offered at shelter rates, 50% of units will be rented at or below BC’s Housing Income Limits (HILs) 2019 rates, and 30% of units will be rented at the low end of market rates. A diversity of unit types, from studios to 3-bedroom units, accessible units, and at least 35% of units in 2- and 3-bedroom configurations, are proposed. All units will be secured as social housing for the life of the building, providing stable, long term housing in the Grandview Woodland area.

This rezoning application aligns with the policies set out in the Grandview Woodland Plan that has been adopted by Council. Other apartment buildings in the area will not lose access to light. Shadows from this six-storey building are in-line with other existing six-storey buildings across the City. The predominant shadow impacts are to the north, where there is currently a lane and a Shell gas station. Any future development to the north will provide setbacks in consideration of this building’s shadows, and according to the policies set out in the Grandview Woodland Community Plan.

Construction impacts on City streets, including through private development, are tracked on the City of Vancouver’s website. The City has a Noise Compliance By-law which regulates construction-related noise for private development (Weekdays 7.30am-8pm, Sat 10am-8pm, not permitted on Sundays/holidays).

An open house date is convened for an application after the application is received in full. The open house date is chosen to ensure that the staff and applicant team are available during the open house period, and so as not to overlap with too many other scheduled open houses.

This social housing application is being considered under the City’s Social Housing or Rental Tenure (SHORT) program, which aims to prioritize the delivery of social housing projects by reducing the regular rezoning review timeline. In the SHORT program, the development permit application process may also be initiated prior to a Public Hearing.