Douglas Todd: How to really change zoning to increase housing affordability

The city of Vancouver makes itself an easy target for accusations of failure on housing.

Such stratospheric rents and listing prices are not only because the city is known for its natural beauty, which helps to draw waves of new arrivals.

Vancouver’s failure lies in large part in its zoning.

Zoning is not a sexy topic for most, but in many ways it’s fair to say: zoning rules. It’s one of the most crucial keys to affordability, despite what the Canadian public might think. Last month, a Leger poll showed only six per cent of Canadians blame the country’s onerous housing costs on municipalities, the prime legislators on zoning (even though provinces can also get involved).

Here’s the problem, as told by one of Canada’s biggest developers, West Vancouver’s John D’Eathe, who has headed many of the country’s biggest development companies, including Bentall Kennedy, Freehold Properties and ITC Construction.