When it comes to building new homes, many people are surprised to learn that it takes far longer to make it through city hall than it does to build the house.
To put it in context, a ‘typical’ two-level, 2500-square-foot home takes 16-18 weeks to build, however getting to the stage where the shovel hits the ground can take several months, and in many cases longer.
Why does it take so long?
The recent Housing Approvals Study (HAS) prepared by the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, with support by the Landcor Data Corp., indicates high volume and backlogs due to housing demand and variations in builder applications, coupled with resistance to change within a neighbourhood as main factors in causing delays.
Looking at the current building-approvals process, the system is based on a first-come-first-served basis, allowing for incomplete building submissions to clog the system.
A best practice recommended by the HAS report is to process on a risk-based permitting and inspection-policy basis, also referred to as a ‘Nexus Lane,’ rewarding professional applicants with accelerated processing.
The concept appears to have legs with government taking notice, as noted in Rob Shaw’s March 5 Postmedia News story, “Finance minister wants reasonable deadline for municipal housing approvals,” quoting, “a better solution would be to fast-track developers with proven records, argues the Greater Vancouver Homebuilders Association. (Mike) de Jong expressed support for that idea as well.”
However, the most impactful solution to help improve the supply of affordable housing is to use our limited land base more efficiently by encouraging “gentle density.”
By subdividing, or stratifying current single-family lots into duplex, triplex and quadplex houses, affordable ground-oriented, infill-housing options will be available in communities currently out of reach for many homeowners. This type of gentle density also minimizes the impact on existing communities from an esthetic point of view.
However, change such as this won’t come easy. It’s in people’s nature to protect their neighbourhoods, where one of their greatest emotional and financial investments is located, their home. But in many ways, protecting homeowners today, without consideration for the growth of future homeowners of tomorrow, can result in the very thing people are resisting.
To read more, please visit: Vancouver Sun – ‘Gentle density’ can help increase Metro Vancouver’s supply of affordable housing
