Burnaby’s rental policies clash with B.C. law: city councillor

B.C.’s new housing density laws are creating challenges for Burnaby, a city known for its commitment to affordable housing.

The provincial legislation, rolled out this summer, seeks to unlock more housing options by mandating municipalities to allow property owners to increase housing density on their land.

But the changes are causing headaches for developers in Burnaby who are trying to juggle B.C.’s new rules on top of the city’s complex housing policies.

It’s forced Burnaby city council to consider significant adjustments, particularly to the Rental Use Zoning Policy and, more specifically, inclusionary zoning, which requires developers to set aside 20 per cent of new builds as below market rentals.

City council is now mulling over dropping the requirement to 10 per cent to improve the financial viability of projects in certain areas.

Burnaby city councillor Daniel Tetrault finds it “frustrating” that legislation meant to increase affordable units may instead reduce the number in his city.

“There are some positives in the [provincial] legislation, but in Burnaby we were creating more housing and non-market rental units,” Tetrault told 1130 NewsRadio.

“We had a formula and a system that worked quite well… it feels like we’re going backwards,” he added.

Tetrault says the provincial changes have also stripped the city of its ability to use density as an incentive for bonuses.

On Monday, Burnaby City Council reviewed key recommendations from city staff aimed at streamlining the development process. The report proposed amending the inclusionary rental zoning policy, endorsing a new height-based development framework that moves away from the traditional floor area ratio (FAR), and establishing new zoning districts.

Ultimately, council instructed staff to refine their recommendations and explore all available tools to maximize the construction of inclusionary units and align with financial models.

The revised report will be reviewed by the council at a later date.