Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Update

The Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation, a part of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, builds and directly manages affordable housing throughout our region. Today, it has a portfolio of 4,491 housing units, making it one of the largest affordable housing operations in the region. The Corporation's operating costs are self-funding, though funding to build new housing comes from other levels of government and the Regional District.

The Housing Corporation is currently updating its 10-year plan. There are five main areas it is looking to update.

The first area is whether it should slow down, maintain, or increase the pace of building new housing units. The pace is primarily driven by funding commitments from the federal and provincial governments.

The second area is whether the Housing Corporation should continue to partner with member municipalities and the private sector or just the private sector to deliver new housing units.

The third area is to examine the affordability and unit-mix targets for its housing. Today, the target is to have 30% of its total housing units with Rent-Geared-to-Income and 70% of its units with 2- or more bedrooms.

The fourth area is where to focus on developing new housing. For example, the Housing Corporation does not have any sites in Langley City or Township. Should the Housing Corporation focus on creating a sub-regional balance or continue its current approach on sites where opportunities present themselves?

Table showing Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation units by sub-region. Select the table to enlarge.

The final area concerns the type and scope of tenant programs and services to provide.

The Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation is well-regarded and accountable to the people of our region, as it receives limited funding through our property taxes. I am hopeful that the Corporation will continue to build on its success, increasing the number of units it can deliver, including here in Langley City.

Image Source: https://metrovancouver.org/services/housing/facility/pinewood-place

TransLink Ridership in 2024: Everyone is Taking the Bus. Overcrowding a Concern.

Every year, TransLink produces a "Transit Service Performance Review," which includes a summary report and detailed route-by-route key performance indicators such as ridership, revenue, on-time performance, and speed. The agency recently released its 2024 summary report and data.

Transit ridership is returning to 2019 levels when we saw record transit ridership. While SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express are critical parts of our transit system, the bus network handles the majority of transit trips in our region. In 2024, TransLink had the third-highest bus ridership in Canada and the USA in absolute numbers.

TransLink System-Wide Monthly Journeys and Regional Population Growth, 2019-2024. Select image to enlarge.

Ridership growth was the strongest in the South of Fraser, which includes Surrey, White Rock, Langley City and Township. Another notable increase is that West Coast Express ridership rose by 20% between 2023 and 2024 as more people commute to Downtown Vancouver.

While it is good that people continue to rely on transit as a way to get around the region, it is becoming overcrowded like it was in 2019. As a transit rider myself, I remember the crush loads on the 502/503 and SkyTrain. The following map shows the top 20 overcrowded bus routes in Metro Vancouver. Many of these bus routes are now in the South of Fraser.

Map of Top 20 Overcrowded Bus Routes, Fall 2024. Select image to enlarge.

TransLink has been reallocating bus service across the region to address the most severe overcrowding, but it can be a bit of stealing from Peter to pay Paul. Bus ridership in Vancouver/UBC declined in 2024.

Last month, the Mayors' Council approved a new 2025 Investment Plan. This investment plan will begin delivering more bus services immediately to address overcrowding, expand existing routes, and create new routes to areas such as industrial zones and regional parks.

For more information, including the summary report, dashboards, and data set, please visit the TransLink Transit Service Performance Review webpage.

May 26 Council Notes: Salmon, Habitat Compensation, Committee Work Plans, and Housing

Langley City Council received a presentation from Nigel Easton and Bruce Downing about the Nicomekl Enhancement Society (NES) on Monday. NES is a volunteer-led society that operates a salmon hatchery and performs environment restoration work along the Nicomekl River and its tributaries. NES volunteers release salmon into Pleasantdale Creek and Anderson Creek, which flows through City Park. The presenters requested that the City install signage indicating where they release salmon within the City. Council asked our Environmental Sustainability Committee to investigate installing these signs. Salmon are an indicator species; if you have healthy salmon in a river, you have a healthy river ecosystem.

Later in a meeting, Council gave first, second and third reading to amend the City’s 2024-2028 Financial Plan to reflect the year-end financial results. This amendment is a housekeeping item.

Council also approved our new Habitat Compensation Works on City Lands policy. This policy outlines the process to follow if development occurs in “low to moderately low” environmentally sensitive areas, which is strongly discouraged. Restoration should occur on impacted sites; however, if that is not possible, environmental restoration should be conducted on City property as close to the site as possible or within the City’s Habitat Bank areas.

Council approved issuing a development permit amendment to allow the strata at 20454 53 Avenue to convert an unutilized amenity space into a dwelling unit. The strata would still have both indoor and outdoor amenity spaces consistent with our current requirements, the required parking, and be paying development cost charges and community amenity contributions. The City issued the original development permit in 1980.

Council also approved the Socio-Economic Development Advisory Committee work plan and the Environmental Sustainability Committee work plan.

“Let’s Chat, Langley City!” Launched. Win a $450 Stay and Dine Package

Today, information about Langley City’s projects and initiatives is not in one centralized platform, making it trickier to stay current on what the City is doing. It is now much easier to stay informed and provide feedback.

Langley City has launched a new project and initiative information and feedback platform called “Let’s Chat, Langley City!” To help launch the new platform and get folks familiar with it, the City is holding a photo and video contest that uses the new platform. You can submit your photos and videos until June 9th, and then you can vote for your favourite. The winner will get a Stay and Dine package courtesy of Cascades Casino Resort valued at $450.

The other initiative on the new platform is the Citizen’s Assembly on Community Safety. You can stay current on the Assembly’s work, provide feedback, and learn about upcoming in-person events, such as the Community Dialogue on Community Safety on June 11th.

This platform will become the one-stop location for feedback and information for Langley City. You can sign up to the platform and receive updates on current and upcoming projects and initiatives on “Let’s Chat, Langley City!”