Non-market housing on 11th breezes through public hearing

A proposed non-market housing project with up to 58 units breezed through a public hearing this week with no speakers opposing it.

The project is slated for the northeast corner of Newcombe Street and 11th Avenue, a currently vacant city-owned lot just on the Burnaby side of the border with New Westminster.

The project has funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s rapid housing initiative to the tune of $11.1 million for at least 28 units of non-market housing.

City staff are recommending an additional $8 million be paid from the city’s affordable housing reserve, funded through community benefit bonuses from developments. That could see funding for up to 58 units on the site.

The lot is currently zoned R3 for single-family housing. Nearby are single-family housing to the north, as well as low-rise apartment buildings to the east and south, and townhouses to the west.

The city is seeking a rezoning to a comprehensive district based on RM2 and RM2r zoning for low-density multi-family housing. This would allow for a combined floor-area ratio of 1.4 (0.7 each from RM2 and RM2r).

Easy public hearing

The proposal was the only rezoning up for a public hearing this week, and no speakers attended to speak in favour of it or against it.

One person wrote a brief note to council in favour of the rezoning.

“There is a critical housing shortage in Burnaby and the rest of the Lower Mainland, so supporting additional housing is vitally important to the wellbeing of Burnaby residents,” wrote Josh Batterink.

There were no correspondences opposing the project.

The city still has yet to say what level of affordability the project would achieve, however, the rapid housing initiative does set some expectations.

The funding from the federal government initiative is intended to go towards housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, as well as others among the “most vulnerable.”

That includes women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, veterans, recent immigrants or refugees, and people in LGBTQ2+, racialized, and Black communities.

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