Earlier this week, Vancouver City Council approved Vancouver’s first co-housing project (pdf), only the tenth in Canada. The project is the first to be enabled by the City’s new affordable housing interim rezoning bylaw, which arose from recommendations of the Mayor’s Housing Affordability Task Force.
The new co-housing project on E 33rd Avenue will feature 31 housing units in a three storey building, and is more affordable due to shared spaces and common areas such as kitchens, gathering spaces, and meeting rooms.
Accordimg to Mayor Gregor Robertson:
Confronting the challenge of housing affordability has been a top priority of my work as Mayor, and it’s encouraging to see early progress after the steps we’ve taken to enable innovative and affordable housing projects like this one.
Vancouver needs affordable housing that fits with our neighbourhoods and makes our city more livable for everyone, especially seniors, students, and young families. This co-housing project is another creative step toward meeting that need.
Co-housing facilitates community through shared spaces and unique interactions with neighbours. It was a popular choice in housing affordability consultations and last summer’s re:Think Housing international ideas competition, in which two co-housing projects won People’s Choice awards.
