The City of Vancouver has released its proposed Villages Plan, which identifies 17 neighbourhood Village areas where more housing and neighbourhood-serving businesses would be encouraged, with the goal of creating communities where more daily needs are within a “five-minute walk, bike, or roll from home”. To learn more, read the Villages Plan here.
To support that vision, the City is proposing City-initiated rezoning across these Village areas, expanding opportunities for missing middle housing, including multiplexes, townhomes, and apartment buildings up to six storeys. For many sites, this would eliminate the need for a site-specific rezoning application, allowing projects to proceed directly to the Development Permit stage. While the proposal applies only within Vancouver, it could serve as a future blueprint for other municipalities to follow.
The proposal seems to move in a positive direction. Reducing the need for site-by-site rezonings, providing greater certainty for builders, and expanding housing opportunities across established neighbourhoods. The proposal also addresses potential zones where Villages intersect with or overlap in Area Plans and Transit-Oriented Areas to avoid duplicate policy direction and a provide a consistent approach to land use and development.
But the proposal is only part of the solution. The real test is implementation. Whether these opportunities become housing will depend on project viability, timely Development Permit approvals, municipal fees, infrastructure and servicing capacity, financing conditions, and a predictable approval process. And, an important question to consider — are there potential unintended consequences based on the proposed Villages plan?
HAVAN is reviewing the proposal ahead of the City of Vancouver’s Public Hearing on July 14 and will be submitting comments to Council. The referral report is available here: Referral Report – Villages Planning Program – Villages Plan, City-initiated Rezoning and Vancouver Official Development Plan Amendments – June 2, 2026.
We invite members with experience developing, building, renovating, or designing projects in Vancouver to share their perspectives. In particular, we want to hear whether the proposed zoning creates any unintended consequences for projects already underway, land holdings acquired under existing planning policies, or properties within or adjacent to Transit-Oriented Areas or other adopted planning programs. We also welcome feedback on whether the proposal improves certainty, supports viable housing delivery, and identifies implementation challenges the City should address before adoption.
Please send your comments to Diana Dilworth at diana@havan.ca by Friday, July 10.
HELP GUIDE ADVOCACY EFFORTS VIA LOCAL MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES
Five Minutes | Online Survey | Together, Our Voice is Stronger
Municipal elections take place October 17, 2026, and the decisions made by local governments will directly impact housing delivery across Metro Vancouver. As part of HAVAN’s Municipal Election Outreach Campaign, we are asking members to complete a brief survey to identify the policies, fees, regulations, and approval challenges affecting housing supply. Your feedback will help shape HAVAN’s recommendations, municipal housing fact sheets, and resources shared with candidates. This survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and is available HERE. Your opinion counts. Thank you.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2026-2027 HAVAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS
HAVAN is now accepting nominations for its 2026–2027 Board of Directors.
The Board is responsible for providing strategic direction, governance, policy oversight, and long-term vision for the Association. Working collectively, Directors help guide HAVAN’s priorities and ensure the organization continues to serve the residential construction industry across Metro Vancouver.
Members in good standing who are interested in serving on the Board are encouraged to download the nomination form and submit their application by Friday, July 10, 2026.
HAVAN continues to work with CHBA BC and CHBA to advocate for all levels of government to work together tress the challenges of the housing industry including zoning restrictions, density limits, and NIMBYism.
Looking to stay up-to-date on Metro Vancouver’s residential housing industry? Sign up for Wendy’s weekly Monday Briefing and other HAVAN emails here.
