Housing diversity and affordability
Metro Vancouver is one of the most beautiful places in the world to live, and also one of the most expensive. Many households face a serious shortfall between housing costs and their ability to pay. Finding housing that is affordable is particularly difficult for renters with low incomes and in certain areas of the region. To that end,
Metro 2050, the Regional Growth Strategy sees affordable housing as an essential component of complete communities.
Metro Vancouver's commitment
Metro Vancouver is committed to preserving and enhancing the supply of affordable housing and increasing the diversity of housing choices in the region. This work includes:
- Advocating to federal and provincial governments for affordable housing (including supportive and transitional housing)
- Supporting municipalities to develop Housing Action Plans
- Providing resources and data on affordable housing
- Supporting the Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation to increase the number of affordable housing units in the region
Measures for Affordable and Diverse Housing Dashboard
The Measures for Affordable and Diverse Housing Dashboard is a database with information on local government policies in Metro Vancouver that are intended to contribute to housing affordability and/or housing diversity. Information on each policy is derived from information found on member jurisdictions’ websites.
Inclusionary housing
Inclusionary housing policies are an essential tool for increasing the amount of affordable housing in our region and addressing local housing needs. Inclusionary housing policies are regulations and policies that require or incentivize private developers to dedicate a portion of the units in a development for affordable housing.
Metro Vancouver studied the effectiveness of existing inclusionary housing policies in the region and best practices. To help member jurisdictions deliver more affordable housing, Metro Vancouver developed a regional model for inclusionary housing.
Inclusionary Housing Calculator
Drawing on the economic analysis from the framework above, Metro Vancouver has launched the Inclusionary Housing Calculator, an interactive, web-based tool designed to support local government staff, policymakers, students, and other interested users in learning about inclusionary housing.
This Calculator allows users to create hypothetical development scenarios and test conditions that affect the feasibility of inclusionary housing, including market conditions, density levels, government incentives, and other variables.
Note: The Calculator is for educational purposes only. It is not a replacement for the detailed financial analysis required for actual development projects or policy design.
Regional Housing Needs Report
The Regional Housing Needs Report provides a high-level understanding of housing needs in Metro Vancouver, using consolidated data from the housing needs reports of member jurisdictions. Housing needs are not limited to jurisdictional boundaries and this work supports a shared understanding of regional and sub-regional housing needs to support regional policy and advocacy. This will help identify existing and projected gaps in housing supply as part of
Housing 2050: A Roadmap to Implement Metro 2050’s Housing Goal.
Affordable Housing Gap Analysis
The Affordable Housing Gap Analysis quantifies the gap between affordable housing need in the region and current level of affordable housing delivery to support advocacy and coordination. This report demonstrates the magnitude of the challenge of increasing the supply of affordable rental as well as achieving the depth and duration of affordability needed to support low to moderate income individuals and families in Metro Vancouver.