Vancouver council approves legalization of duplexes in nearly all single-family neighbourhoods

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Vancouver city council is loosening restrictions on duplex development. Last night’s vote wasn’t unanimous, with some councillors arguing the rezoning process was rushed.

After two days of public debate, Mayor Gregor Robertson and city council have passed a policy, allowing for the construction of duplexes in 99 per cent of neighbourhoods previously reserved for single-family homes.

Tom Davidoff, associate professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, applauds the decision. “It’s an excellent idea. The important thing is to say, ‘Limiting homes to a single family is not something that the city’s going to engage in anymore.’ I think that’s really what’s critical.”

He says there is one potential problem — that people are worried about what happens if there is a conversion. “I think it’s absolutely reasonable to ask that basement suite tenants who get ‘renovicted’… when the building is converted, that they should be compensated.”

The city has yet to announce how it will handle tenants displaced by duplex renovations.

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Davidoff also thinks more needs to be done to improve Vancouver’s housing market. “Most of the city’s land has been reserved for, at most, one family-sized home. Now, they’re allowing two. That’s a significant improvement. I’m just saying it’s not enough.”

“Duplexes aren’t enough. It’s a start. But when you have land that’s worth tens of millions of dollars an acre, to really put a dent in affordability, you want to go to at least townhomes or small apartment buildings.”

With the change, 67,000 existing single-family lots — making up more than half the city’s real estate — are now eligible for duplexes.

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