Candidates agree there’s a lack of housing—but where and how to build it is another story

Almost 90% of Greater Victoria’s council and mayoral candidates told us there was a housing shortage. Disagreements over whether post-densification is the solution — and if so, where it should lead — offer voters an opportunity to differentiate between candidates

After the elections this weekend, when mayors and local councils take office, there will be many issues vying for attention. But one issue is dominating election campaigns across the region: housing.

Housing affordability remains a real challenge in Greater Victoria, where the average selling price of a single-family home was $1.2 million in September, according to the Victoria Real Estate Board. About 30% of Greater Victoria residents rent their homes and face Canada’s fifth most expensive market, according to a September report by Rentals.ca. The average one-bedroom apartment in the region rented for $2,098 in August, while two-bedroom apartments rented for an average of $2,871 — the third most expensive of 35 Canadian regions.

The lack of affordable housing is contributing to the tight local job market and has even made it harder to attract and retain health workers, an issue several municipal candidates are trying to address in their platforms.

The overwhelming majority of community candidates who took part in Capital Daily’s candidate poll agree there is a housing shortage in their community – just 15 out of 121 respondents said “no” or gave no answer. In five communities—Central Saanich, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich, and Sidney—every candidate who took part in our survey answered “yes” to the housing shortage question.

Almost all of the mayoral candidates agreed that there is not enough housing in the community they hope to lead.

Not every community was so unanimous on this issue; Nearly half of the nine Metchosin candidates we heard from say housing is not an issue in their community, where questions are about how to address housing needs — including whether tiny homes and RVs on residential lots as Second homes to be allowed have been hotly debated.

Mayor John Ranns, who is not seeking re-election, believes more housing is incompatible with Metchosin’s rural vibe. Both candidates running to succeed him – councilors Marie-Térèse Little and Kyara Kahakauwila – agree that housing is a problem, but neither sees densification as a viable solution.

For Kahakauwila, addressing the local housing crisis means working with colleagues at the Capital Regional District “to create housing solutions in appropriate areas that are closer to services and amenities” while protecting green spaces, according to her response to the survey. Kahakauwila told West Shore reporter Zoë Ducklow that she “aligns with Mayor Ranns” on preserving Metchosin’s rural character.

Little, who said she met with former housing minister (now NDP lead candidate) David Eby in August, wants Metchosin to work with the province on “innovative solutions” to the housing crisis. Like Kahakauwila, Little sees room for more housing in “some areas in Metchosin that are already designated for multiple families or housing.”

However, “it would not be wise to pave land that is … classified as an Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR),” Little said in her response to Capital Daily’s survey.

“Other farmland, green space or buffer zones not classified as ALR land would still be protected from large-scale development for housing opportunity,” Little said.

She told The Westshore Metchosin that they’ve been “quite progressive in their housing challenges” and most residents she’s heard from are happy with the way development is being handled in the community.

The consolidation is divisive, but most mayoral candidates agree it’s part of the solution

The question of whether increasing densification would help improve affordability and quality of life in the region – and bring municipalities closer to their climate and transport goals – was more contentious. 34 candidates said more densification was not a solution, including 22 who agreed their community needed more housing.

In Saanich, where a lack of medium-sized housing policy is to come before the new mayor and council by the end of the year, all candidates agreed that densification is at least part of the solution. In Victoria, where the controversial Missing Middle Housing Initiative for broad densification has been put to the new council for decision, nine candidates do not see densification as a solution.

Many of these candidates emphasized the role of the provincial and federal governments in supporting housing, and several suggested encouraging existing homeowners to create affordable rental housing.

Like Little and Kahakauwila, Victoria City Council candidates, who have doubts about density across the board, see room for more housing in some parts of the city, such as sheltered. Concern about the character of the neighborhood was a frequent refrain during Victoria’s public hearing on MMHI; The sentiment also surfaced as the Saanich City Council considered options for zoning Cadboro Bay this summer, and while Sooke and Central Saanich reviewed their official community plans.

The two highest-profile mayoral candidates in Victoria—Couns. Marianne Alto and Stephen Andrew – differ on how MMHI should be handled by the city’s new council. According to Alto, not passing the housing proposal was a missed opportunity, while Andrew sees the split in politics as an indication that more work is needed before the council can pass it.

Both mayoral candidates agree that housing supply is an issue and that densification is a key part of the solution, but they differ on how densification should be addressed.

Andrew’s housing platform is focused on improving the city’s land use permit process by removing bureaucratic roadblocks to expedite permits. As Mayor, Andrew proposes introducing a ‘Build Victoria Plan’ which would allow duplexes on all single family lots with adjoining suites as an option for all duplexes. The plan would “focus densification efforts on arterial and collector roads to encourage townhouses, stacked townhouses and low-rise buildings.” It would also include protections for tenants at risk of evictions due to redevelopment and incentives for sub-market and family-oriented housing development.

Alto’s housing platform is focused on expanding Victoria’s existing housing development strategies and creating more space for residential development through the creation of a municipal land bank program (which would see the city purchase land for affordable housing) and commercial to residential conversion . Incentivizing ring-fenced rents and affordable housing developments is also a priority for Alto, which proposes protecting tenants by providing incentives to developers that minimize displacement of existing tenants.

Both candidates propose offering a “property tax exemption” for some types of housing developments: affordable housing in Andrews’ case; Heritage restoration, purpose built rental, community and cooperative housing in Alto’s.

Mayoral candidates in urban communities have pledged to create more affordable housing for rent

While they may not be entirely on the same page, both Andrew and Alto have committed to working with the community coalition Greater Victoria Acting Together (GVAT) to realize their community housing platform, which prioritizes providing housing for the homeless and thousands of Units builds affordable, climate-friendly non-profit housing and protects tenants while increasing the rental housing stock.

Alto and Andrew both pledged to meet with GVAT within 100 days of their appointment as mayor during an Oct. 2 event at Christ Church Cathedral. Over 300 people attended the event, with dozens more tuning in via livestream.

All other mayoral candidates running in Saanich and Esquimalt, as well as acclaimed Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch, have also committed to working with GVAT.

Whatever the results of this election, expect housing to remain a hot topic across Greater Victoria – one that both newcomers and re-elected incumbents alike will continue to grapple with. Councils will also likely have to grapple with new provincial parameters for housing development, as Eby promises to make big changes to the way housing is built in BC when he becomes the next provincial premier.

The former housing minister’s housing platform includes setting minimum benchmark housing standards based on municipal housing needs assessment reports — with promises of “provincial intervention” for those who don’t comply — allowing modest single-family home zoning in major cities and legalizing second homes suites across BC and a significant increase in support for nonprofit housing projects.