(by Joanna Piros) If the owners wanted to, 2,209 potential homes could be built on rural residential lots on the Sunshine Coast. An SCRD staff review has revealed that 2,458 parcels in five OCPs allow for one extra dwelling, but only 249 homeowners have taken advantage of this opportunity.
Staff recommend that this potential be explored first before turning attention to unceded or crown land.
People do not build another house on their property for various reasons, manager of planning and community development Andrew Allen said in an interview. “It costs money to build a second house. Lifestyle choice is a reason as well. We brought in the secondary dwelling policy 20 or 30 years ago. Today it could help alleviate rental pressure and these [secondary dwellings] could be mortgage helpers. There’s definitely room to explore that.”
The SCRD planning and development committee had asked planning staff for a review of possible policy changes to promote affordable housing. The areas studied included Egmont/Pender Harbour, Halfmoon Bay, Roberts Creek, Elphinstone and West Howe Sound.
Twin Creeks and Port Mellon were not looked at as staff felt the OCPs with the most potential to create affordable housing were a priority. At the committee meeting, chair Ian Winn noted that affordable housing needs are great in locations close to jobs such as the Port Mellon mill; he requested that future studies take this into account.
Affordable housing is commonly defined as housing that costs no more than 30 per cent of a household’s gross income. For example, Habitat Humanity on the Sunshine Coast says that if a family in a Habitat home is earning $30,000 a year, their annual Habitat mortgage would be $9,000.
In the next three months, SCRD staff will present detailed recommendations to create consistent housing policies for all five OCPs. The lack of consistency in the different OCPs is a challenge. None of them have policies regarding emerging trends in smaller, clustered and affordable housing options, making development approval difficult.
The recommendations may include zoning bylaw updates to increase the allowed maximum size of an auxiliary dwelling. Right now these structures, such as an overnight sleeping cabin, cannot exceed 55 square metres.
Another possible recommendation is to allow dwellings with a building width of less than six metres.
New housing developments could allow for lots smaller than 700 square metres. However, that may not be an easy solution in unserviced areas, Allen said. “Before we can start creating zoning for small lots in such areas we have to consult with Vancouver Coastal Health. They have a role to play in this as well. While they are observing new, more efficient septic systems, it is still the case that with smaller lots it’s tougher to have both a house and a septic field. That’s typically one of the reasons properties are larger in rural areas.
“In Roberts Creek, for example, we have very limited areas serviced by sewer. Most of the property above the highway is not on water service so we would have to co-operate with VCH to find the right match with legislative requirements.”
Sewage treatment and water supply are big factors in development of rural areas but new technology may provide some solutions, the report says. It contains a suggestion for grants to individuals and neighbourhoods to take advantage of some of these technologies. The provenance of the grants was not specified.
The report suggests that as village cores already have infrastructure such as community sewage treatment facilities in place, development of higher density cluster housing could be less costly to builders. This could be an opportunity to create affordable housing, the report says. It all depends on policy changes to allow for multi-family residential developments with small lots, multiplexes, townhouses, and low-rise apartments.
Staff also looked at a suggestion that under certain conditions, new developments could have a requirement that 20 per cent of the homes be affordable housing.
The SCRD will look to improve infrastructure and servicing in such locations, including pedestrian connections, parks, trails, and transit. Developers and homeowners will be encouraged to use energy-efficient technology, durable building materials and innovative architectural and landscape design, the report says. The nature of the encouragement is not specified.
SCRD planning staff consulted with a number of community groups and agencies and discovered some common themes. First of all, most believed that densification should not compromise existing neighbourhoods, rural character and the natural environment. At the same time, if owners of large lots choose to build a second dwelling, this could be a good way to increase affordable housing.
The consulted groups also liked the options of smaller lot subdivisions, smaller lots and smaller homes as well as clustered residential development in village core areas.
Roberts Creek Director Mark Lebbell was happy with the consultation process. “It feels good to be moving forward with community associations in support.”
In the next three months, SCRD planning staff will present bylaw and policy recommendations to the committee so that horror stories of families couch-surfing or living in unsafe and unhealthy conditions can be addressed.
In his signature dry style, director Gary Nohr asked: “Which comes first: bylaws on short-term rentals or affordable housing?” To which Ian Hall, director of planning and community development, replied: “Staff see both as priorities and are committed to bring back information in the third quarter on both.”
He noted that staff see the issues as very much connected.
The full report and attached documentation can be read here.