3879 replies to this topic

[dasmo]

I think the solution is more taxes and regulations.

[Victoria Watcher]

I believe so.

[aastra]

 

I think the solution is more taxes and regulations.

 

Not even close. The solution is considerably more taxes and regulations than you're talking about.

[lanforod]

Can I be radical and say no more taxes and instead of more regulations, enforce the ones we have?

[dasmo]

Not even close. The solution is considerably more taxes and regulations than you're talking about.

And then even more taxes and regulations!

[dasmo]

Can I be radical and say no more taxes and instead of more regulations, enforce the ones we have?

That sounds like my do nothing policy. Sorry, but government has Gotta DO SOMETHING!!!!!

[LJ]

How about putting a temporary (5 years) hold on immigration, expel all the students who are not enrolled in studies, and send all the people who have overstayed their visas back to where they came from. Doesn't cost as much as building houses and has an overall positive effect.

[dasmo]

How about putting a temporary (5 years) hold on immigration, expel all the students who are not enrolled in studies, and send all the people who have overstayed their visas back to where they came from. Doesn't cost as much as building houses and has an overall positive effect.

25% of our real economic activity is real estate related. Another 25% is government employment and spending. 

[LJ]

Riding by Fort Victoria RV park today and seeing how packed it is with mostly permanent residents, we should be building another 10 or so of these around the island and solve that pesky affordable housing problem.

[lanforod]

Those are often dives, some are good but there’s too many that are nasty. Strong management required.

The idea though, can be refined by allowing the same idea but not requiring mobile or RV homes only. So much wasted cost by these having to be portable, and then don’t move for 20 years.
Basically, small home parks instead of trailer parks. Allow them to connect to grid and sewer too. No propane crap, and sewer > septic fields.
Prefab or portable cottage style like these rather than the RVs or ones with permanent wheels. https://rovertinyhom...table-cottages/

Edited by lanforod, 06 July 2025 - 08:43 PM.

[amor de cosmos]

open letter in the tyee today
 

We are a Metro Vancouver region-based group of urbanists, urban planners, architects, developers, and UBC/SFU academics, most with decades of experience, who have joined together to broaden the search for enduring housing solutions.
 
While our primary focus is on Vancouver, our comments below are also applicable to cities across Canada that are also struggling with affordability issues.
 
Canada’s housing crisis demands a reset in how we use public policy to achieve affordability. The current market correction presents an opportunity — not a threat. Governments should not bail out speculative development models but instead use this moment to invest in non-market housing, preserve existing affordability, and ensure that public subsidies serve long-term public outcomes.

• Canada’s housing strategy must deliver affordability, not just more supply
• Use the market correction as an opportunity, not something to resist
• Public subsidies must deliver public benefit outcomes
• Preserve what’s affordable, don’t displace it
• Reform delivery and financing models to align with residents’ needs
• Rebalance costs and benefits between all orders of government

https://thetyee.ca/O...Fixing-Housing/

[Mike K.]

What market correction?

[amor de cosmos]

I wondered that too, and thought maybe they mean if there is a correction then the silver lining is housing would be more affordable, or at least going in the right direction. After some googling, and as hard as it is to believe prices are decreasing, at least according to these links:
https://www150.statc...250723c-eng.htm
https://www.rbc.com/...ales-stabilize/

[Victoria Watcher]

There is also no crisis. There has never been more housing available than there is today, compared to the last 15 years.

[lanforod]

I dunno if I’d call 1.8% yoy price drop a correction but I guess that’s semantics. It’s mostly in condos.

[dasmo]

"Preserve what’s affordable, don’t displace it" 

The blanket up zoning destroyed that. Every house with an affordable basement suite is now a development opportunity and will be sold as such. The affordable suite is forever lost to 6 OSB prefabs that will cost $999,999.99 each with no suite.....  

[Victoria Watcher]

Government is here to help us.

[dasmo]

Like this place. $2,000,000  https://www.rew.ca/p...et-vancouver-bc

3,920.4 Square Feet Lot even. East Hastings. 

[dasmo]

"Correction" hahahaha. 

[Mike K.]

"Preserve what’s affordable, don’t displace it"
The blanket up zoning destroyed that. Every house with an affordable basement suite is now a development opportunity and will be sold as such. The affordable suite is forever lost to 6 OSB prefabs that will cost $999,999.99 each with no suite.....

Well sheesh, that’s just it, isn’t it?

We’ve created a scenario, where a literal 1BR 600 sq ft condo costs today in downtown, what a literal small sized house with a large yard costs in Sooke.

You can buy, I kid you not, a nice (not ramshackle) house on a quarter acre in Sooke for $700k. For $750k you can buy a really nice small house (1400-1600 sq ft). For $800k there are a lot of options.

In Victoria-proper, that same house would cost $1.2 million. A six plex built on that Victoria lot will have an average $900k sale price, maybe even more.