Advancing Housing Affordability Through Bold, Evidence-Based Policy
As the debate over housing policy intensifies, a new voice — or rather, 27 of them — is pushing back on the idea that more supply alone can solve Canada’s housing crisis.
A group of Metro Vancouver-based planners, architects, housing advocates, and academics has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Housing Minister Gregor Robertson. Their message: the problem isn’t just a lack of supply — it’s the type of supply we’ve been building.
This perspective stands in direct contrast to the developer-led letter Crisis & Revitalization of the Real Estate/Construction Industry in BC, which argued that foreign capital is essential to jump-start stalled construction projects and restore future supply.
We covered that earlier letter in a recent post, raising similar questions: Is the slowdown really a capital problem, or have we been building the wrong product for too long?
This new letter adds weight to the latter argument — and outlines a very different set of solutions.
1. The Crisis Is Affordability — Not Just Supply
The letter points out that Vancouver has consistently built housing at a rate that outpaces population growth — but prices still remain among the highest in the world.
From 1960 to 2020, housing stock grew by over 200% while the population grew just 78%. Yet affordability declined dramatically.
The takeaway? Density alone doesn’t deliver affordability. Without tackling land speculation, investor demand, and tenure insecurity, more units may just fuel more price growth.
2. Don’t Fear the Market Correction — Use It
Instead of resisting the current construction slowdown, the group sees it as an opportunity to reset. Their recommendations:
- Avoid using public funds to bail out speculative projects
- Don’t reintroduce foreign capital to reflate demand
- Leverage falling land prices and freed-up labour to build non-market housing
They also support recent policies like rental restrictions and immigration adjustments that have helped ease pressure on rents.
3. Public Subsidies Should Benefit the Public
There’s a call for reforming federal programs like CMHC’s MLI Select, which the group says have contributed to rising land costs and produced the wrong kind of supply.
Instead, they want to see:
- More funding for co-ops, land trusts, and non-profit housing
- Affordability tied to local incomes, not market medians
- Permanent affordability secured through legal covenants
4. Protect What’s Already Affordable
Rather than replacing older rental buildings with high-end new ones, the letter urges governments to prioritize preservation:
- Enforce zero-net-loss policies for affordable rentals
- Support retrofits over demolitions
- Recognize the social cost of displacement
5. Reform Housing Delivery Models
The group isn’t anti-density — but they argue that too many new builds, especially towers, are not meeting real needs. Their proposals include:
- Incentives for secondary suites and ground-oriented infill
- More focus on family housing and livability standards
- Avoiding towers as a default solution, especially outside transit hubs
This echoes what we wrote in our previous post — that much of the unsold inventory today is poorly aligned with what local households actually want or can afford.
6. Make Growth Pay Its Way
Lastly, the letter calls for a fairer balance of costs between developers, municipalities, and other levels of government:
- Federal funding should be tied to developer contributions for infrastructure and services
- Local taxpayers shouldn’t be left covering the cost of rapid growth
A Different View from the Developer Letter
This letter stands in clear contrast to the Crisis & Revitalization letter from B.C. developers, which focused on unlocking stalled supply by restoring access to foreign capital.
While both groups acknowledge that current conditions are unsustainable, their solutions diverge. The developers see capital as the bottleneck; these experts see the model itself as flawed.
In our view — and as we noted in our earlier coverage — both arguments hold some truth. The real challenge is balancing short-term supply pressures with long-term affordability and livability.
North Shore Perspective: What This Means for Buyers
In North and West Vancouver, many developers have historically focused more on building for locals — and that’s resulted in stronger sell-through rates, even in slower markets.
But we’re still seeing some projects pause, and the need for smart, market-fit product is more important than ever.
If you’re considering a presale, resale, or investment, this moment calls for more than just watching headlines. It requires:
- Understanding who the project is built for
- Evaluating whether it meets real, long-term demand
- Knowing which developers are likely to deliver — and when
Our team specializes in helping buyers navigate these kinds of decisions — with local insight, real numbers, and no pressure.
Thinking about buying on the North Shore?
Let’s talk — and make sure your next move fits both today’s market and tomorrow’s reality.