Vancouver wants your thoughts on empty home solutions

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Here is your chance to tell the City of Vancouver what you think should be done about a tallied 10,800 homes that have been sitting empty for more than a year.

Abby Bond, city director of housing policy, says they’re gathering data from an online survey until May 16th. A report is expected to go back to city councillors sometime in June.

“People are very keen to see empty homes better utilized,” Bond says, indicating the survey saw a significant amount of web traffic just several hours after posting.

The survey is focusing on five areas.

“We’re asking people about whether increasing rental or townhomes is a good way to go; we’re asking people whether they would support that new strata’s should be prevented from restricting rentals in their buildings.”

The survey is also gaging support on restrictions on flipping houses, higher taxes for empty homes, and tax credits for people who are living in their homes.

Bond says the feedback will give council some confidence when it goes to higher levels of government for help tackling the issues of vacant homes.

“We have a very high vacancy rate, there is lots of concern in the public around the cost of housing and how hard it is to find housing in the city, but the city is restricted by our Vancouver Charter and we’re not able to mandate occupancy.”

Bond says the percentage of vacant homes in Vancouver isn’t on the rise but she says the context has changed and people want to see action.

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