How much attention should Saanich spend on the subject of affordable housing?
This question loomed in the background as council debated a motion by the Healthy Saanich Advisory Committee that council consider the development of an affordable housing strategy and other measures in the Official Community Plan.
Council voted 6-2, with Coun. Leif Wergeland and Coun. Vickie Sanders opposed, to forward the recommendation to the next strategic planning session. Coun. Vic Derman was absent.
The recommendation not only commits council to discussing the development of an affordable housing strategy, but also investigate “criteria for considering ‘inclusionary zoning’ and density bonusing as part of development applications, in order to provide for affordable and/or special needs housing.”
Mayor Richard Atwell said he would like to move on this issue as quickly as possible. Concerns about affordable housing have become “acute” and it could take a long time to implement new policies, he said.
Unless Saanich develops a “solid policy” that makes developers aware at an early stage about what measures they can offer, the community runs the risk of history passing it, as development takes place without measures to increase affordable housing supply.
“I would like to find a process that would get us that answer quickly, because on the list of things that we would like to do for the community to make it better, this is very, very, very high on the list,” he said, ranking affordable housing as the first or second priority facing Saanich.
Atwell made these comments at the end of a long, occasionally contentious debate that began when committee chair Coun. Colin Plant tabled a motion in favour of the recommendation.
He stressed the recommendation did not commit Saanich to any specific policy action, except to discuss various components at the next strategic session.
Plant said Saanich missed an opportunity to create more affordable housing through density bonuses and other measures when it considered the Uptown project and warned against missing future opportunities.
Coun. Fred Haynes agreed. “These are not easy agreements to do, there is a lot of complexity around them, and we need to step carefully into that area,” he said. “But I do see, given our housing crisis, that this is an important step for our municipality.”
But if Atwell, Haynes and Plant pushed for quick action, other supporters of the recommendation sounded more cautious notes in pointing towards potential obstacles.
Coun. Dean Murdock said this discussion needs to take place against the context of other priorities. “Undeniably, each of us views affordable housing in this community as a top priority,” he said. “It is something that we want to give our focus to. But we also have to appreciate that there are a number of competing priorities that demand staff’s attention and there is only so much that council can ask.”
Pointing to various initiatives underway at the regional level, Coun. Judy Brownoff noted the difficulties. “[Affordable housing policy] takes a lot of time and development and a lot of consultation with the development industry and the community at large,” she said.
Coun. Susan Brice meanwhile feared duplication of past efforts. Direct opposition to the recommendation came from Sanders and Wergeland.
Sanders said she supported the recommendation in principle, but does not want to see this discussion take precedent over other issues awaiting council input.
Wergeland was even more firm.
“Sometimes we have to think twice about what we throw in the hopper,” he said. A “fair number” of items are already waiting for input from council, he said.
He also publicly wondered whether Plant’s committee had done its homework.
“Is the committee, are we aware of what is being done already in that area?” he asked.
“Clearly, they were aware of what we were doing,” replied Plant. “The motion that has come forward was based after discussion that they didn’t feel enough was happening and I would concur.”
Plant added that council members should not “be paralyzed about sending things to strategic planning” over fears that they might have too much on their plates.
“Our job is to make the tough decisions about our priorities,” he said.