As B.C. moves forward with a housing plan that would effectively end single-family zoning, municipal leaders have voiced both praise and concern over how the sweeping policy might shape the fabric of their communities.

On Monday, B.C. Premier David Eby and Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon unveiled the Homes for People plan, a multi-billion-dollar effort to construct more homes as quickly as possible in an attempt to build our way out of the housing crisis.

As part of the plan, the government will introduce provincial legislation this fall to allow three to four units on a traditional single-family detached lot with additional density permitted in areas well served by transit. It’s a strategy that a number of jurisdictions across the world — including Oregon, California and Auckland, New Zealand — have adopted as a way to gently bump up housing density in their communities.

“We know traditionally throughout Metro Vancouver, and even across B.C., the largest percentage of urban land for housing is dedicated to single detached homes,” Pachal told CBC News. “What this should allow is gentle density.”

Density concerns: Other leaders aren’t yet sold on the province’s direction.

“It’s fine to say you want a lot more dwelling units, but do you have the sewers and the pipes and the water supply, everything that it takes,” said Brodie. “Every time we have a rezoning, we have a traffic study. Are we going to assume that traffic will take care of itself? What about the need for other services, the police, the fire, the libraries, the community centres?”

Lessons to be learned: While specifics on the legislation are yet to be unveiled, researchers in Oregon say the policy is unlikely to yield a dramatic increase in total units.

CREDIT: CBC