Minutes
Development & Heritage Standing Committee
Monday, July 13, 2020

Report Number: S 84/2020

Clerk’s File: SAA2020

11.2. Response to CQ 27-2019 regarding potential affordable housing incentives

Councillor Bortolin inquires about a decision to proceed with an affordable housing Community Improvement Plan (CIP); what would the next steps be; and what we would need to do legislatively.

Neil Robertson, Manager Urban Design/Deputy City Planner appears via video conference before the Development & Heritage Standing Committee regarding the administrative report Response to CQ 27-2019 regarding potential affordable housing incentives and indicates that in the past, there have been different processes associated with the CIP’s, i.e. the Downtown CIP did a Downtown Planning Study. Mr. Robertson adds that some of the CIP’s have had background documentation, and what administration has done is to build on that and to use the CIP as an implementation tool. He adds that in other instances, they have had to create that background document, i.e. the Downtown CIP, and in this particular case, Council recently adopted the Housing & Homelessness Master Plan and the CIP would be a tool to start to implement a number of those strategies. Mr. Robertson adds that administration may have to supplement a few additional things in terms of meeting the legislative requirements for the CIP, but for the most part, they have the background information. Mr. Robertson indicates that legislatively, they have the Planning Act requirements and they would have to provide enough time to prepare the plan. He adds that there are also some strategy notification requirements that must be met including a public hearing. Mr. Robertson adds that in terms of an overall timeline, this could be brought back in eight to ten months.

Councillor Bortolin refers to an Appendix in the report that refers to other municipalities and CIP’s and requests that Ms. Payne provide comments regarding the success rates that other municipalities have had as it relates to CIP’s for affordable housing. Jelena Payne, Community Development and Health Commissioner, appears via video conference before the Development & Heritage Standing Committee regarding the administrative report Response to CQ 27-2019 regarding potential affordable housing incentives and indicates that one of the things they know is that affordable housing is needed across the entire country. Ms. Payne adds that there is much discussion about ending homelessness in communities and the direct link to homelessness is housing. Ms. Payne indicates that any tools that are available to developers, landlords, investors