Modular housing is still transitional in nature, but it is a smart first step for the City of Vancouver to take on as part of its goal to offer more affordable housing options.
It is a fantastic idea for the city to start freeing up land for modular housing. As I have suggested before, the property endowment fund and all the vacant land owned by the city is the ticket for leveraging partnerships to get different forms of housing built within the City.
With the province likely tapped out with regards to additional spending on housing, and with the federal government nowhere even close to the issue, it is contingent on the City to get moving on using its assets to full advantage.
Check out Monte Paulsen’s fantastic series from April on modular housing and the impact it can have both in terms of sustainability and alleviating the housing crunch that this city is currently facing.
It is about time that the City started to lead with regards to building housing as opposed to always relying on the provincial government.
This Council’s fulfillment of their major plank of solving street homelessness by 2015 and creating more affordable housing options is contingent on this kind of proactive approach.
