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Vancouver’s housing crisis impacts residents across Vancouver in more ways than just affordability. For many families that can’t afford to purchase a detached home, the limited remaining choices are simply not adequate. Vancouverites need more rental and ownership housing options between detached houses and high-density housing such as condominiums. This problem is particularly true for those looking to downsize in their own neighbourhoods, and for families who want to remain in the city.

As a first step to address this need, council endorsed the launch of the Making Room Housing Program in June. The first step within this program, to allow duplexes in most single-family areas, was approved by council on Sept. 19.

Photo by Gerry Kahrmann / PNG

This zoning change means that duplexes can now be built on most of Vancouver’s 67,000 single-family lots. That is almost 60 per cent of the city’s land which has been zoned exclusively for detached housing.

The new duplex option allows two ownership units within the same floor area that is currently allowed for a detached house. Like detached houses, each duplex unit can include a rental unit. The change itself is relatively small, as single-family zoning has already allowed for three housing units on each lot since laneway homes were introduced in 2009 — a house, a basement suite and a laneway home.

Allowing duplex zoning is a modest but meaningful first step towards expanding housing choice and introducing a significantly lower cost option to own a home. It’s important to note that the change doesn’t allow for an increase in floor area. Analysis by City staff showed that this would limit speculation on land values, and is one of the reasons we’re going ahead with this now. New duplex units are significantly less expensive than a new detached house in the same neighbourhood, and would enable more families to rent or own.