I watched Councillor Raymond Louie on the news a couple of nights back speaking about the upcoming microlofts that Council gave the go ahead to in 2008. He spoke about how this was the direction that the city was heading in and that creating new rental housing in the downtown core was a positive thing.
And, I suppose I cannot argue with that. Just like I believe that communities that have a publicly funded component to them must have social housing in the mix, I also feel that downtown – particularly one that is as residential as Vancouver’s – must have a range of living options.
Additionally, it seems as though groups like the Tenant Resource and Advisory Council have been swept along with the paradigm shift that has occurred in Vancouver over the past decades. Namely, that new rentals properties of any size are a welcome phenomenon amongst the Vancouver real estate landscape, and that density within the city is positive and on the cutting edge of innovation (microlofts, laneway housing, etc.).
But for the life of me, I cannot fathom how a space smaller than two parking spots is worth $750 per month.



