Two projects approved by Mayor and Council at last night’s Public Hearing will deliver significant new social housing and affordable rental housing units.

A five-storey mixed-use building at 3302-3036 W Broadway will offer 83 units of affordable rental housing as part of the City of Vancouver’s Rental 100 program, which aims to enable new rental housing construction in Vancouver. In addition, a new 15 storey building in Downtown South (1107 Seymour) will offer 81 units of social housing and four floors of social service space for Positive Living BC and AIDS Vancouver.

“Vancouver has a pressing need for more supportive housing and more affordable rental housing, especially for seniors, students, and young families,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “These projects build upon the City’s consistent work to support Vancouver renters, provide urgently needed housing for our most vulnerable residents, and make Vancouver more affordable for residents of all backgrounds.”

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Mayor Gregor Robertson is urging City Council to support an innovative proposal for 355 new units of affordable rental housing on four City-owned sites, which would deliver on a key recommendation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing Affordability.

The proposed new affordable housing will include a minimum of 273 units with rents significantly below market rates, with priority for all 355 units going first to those who currently live in Vancouver. 48 units will also primarily serve persons living with mental illness.

“Vancouver has an urgent need for more affordable housing that fits with our neighbourhoods and makes our city more livable for seniors, students, and young families,” said Mayor Robertson. “With 355 new units of secure and affordable rental housing, this proposal represents a significant step toward meeting that need. It’s encouraging to see such strong and early progress after the work we’ve done to enable innovative affordable housing solutions throughout Vancouver.”

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Vancouver City Council has unanimously approved a grant of up to $490,000 to the Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISS) to help assist with the construction of an innovative transitional supportive housing project providing short and medium term accommodation for refugees.

Located at 2610 Victoria Drive, the ISS ‘Welcome House Centre’ will provide short term and transitional housing with supports for recently arrived refugees. The project will include 98 flexible, lockable rooms which can be combined in a variety of configurations, down to 26 “self-contained units” allowing ISS to flexibly house larger or smaller families as well as singles, as need arises.

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Help spread the word: The recent report card on the City’s Housing and Homelessness strategy shows Vancouver is currently exceeding all of its short-term targets for protecting and expanding affordable rental housing, building new supportive housing, and ending street homelessness.

Many highlights are included in the infographic below —  click here to read the full story

Last night City Council approved Vancouver’s first co-housing project, of which there are only nine in Canada. The project is the first to be enabled by the City’s new affordable housing interim rezoning bylaw, which arose from recommendations of the Mayor’s Housing Affordability Task Force.

The new cohousing project on E 33rd Avenue will feature 31 housing units in a three storey building, and is more affordable due to shared spaces and common areas such as kitchens, gathering spaces, and meeting rooms.

“Confronting the challenge of housing affordability has been a top priority of my work as Mayor, and it’s encouraging to see early progress after the steps we’ve taken to enable innovative and affordable housing projects like this one,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “Vancouver needs affordable housing that fits with our neighbourhoods and makes our city more livable for everyone, especially seniors, students, and young families. This co-housing project is another creative step toward meeting that need.”

Co-housing facilitates community through shared spaces and unique interactions with neighbours. It was a popular choice in housing affordability consultations and last summer’s re:Think Housing international ideas competition, in which two co-housing projects won People’s Choice awards.

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Vancouver City Council passed the 2012 City Operating Budget tonight at a Special Council Meeting, investing in affordable housing, parks and recreation services, and libraries, as part of a forward-looking fiscal plan for the coming year.

“Even in the midst of a challenging economic climate and a $52 million budget gap, we’ve delivered a budget that is balanced, progressive, and pragmatic,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “This budget fully protects and supports programs that impact Vancouver’s most vulnerable, including priority investments for homelessness and affordable housing, child care and seniors. We’re protecting all funding and support for arts and culture programming, continuing our support for Vancouver’s Greenest City goals, and increasing support for Vancouver’s public libraries and parks and recreation services.”

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