Pitt Meadows is one of the easiest and cheapest places to develop new housing in the region, according to a report just released by the Fraser Institute.
The report is titled New Homes and Red Tape in British Columblia: Residential Land-Use Regulation in the Lower Mainland, and it was based on a survey of developers and home builders by the Fraser Institute.
It found large discrepancies between cities.
Pitt Meadows is reported to have the lowest compliance costs at $4,300 per dwelling unit. That’s well below the average of $31,600 across the region. Vancouver’s compliance costs are $78,000 per unit.
Maple Ridge’s costs and fees came in at $16,400 per unit.
The Pitt Meadows approval timeline is the second shortest in the region at 5.4 months – almost half the time of the 10.2-month average across the Lower Mainland. Vancouver had the slowest approval timeline at 21 months.
The approval timeline in Maple Ridge was 11.1 months.
Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker said the positive reports are part of an attitude that “we’re business ready.”
Becker is particullarly pleased with the speed of timing and gave credit to director of community services Kate Zanon and CAO Mark Roberts.
“We want to try to give developers an answer very quickly,” he said.
Sometimes that answer is ‘no,’ Becker added, but builders still appreciate a quick response.
The report shows local governments have a role to play in housing affordability, said Becker.
“Government fees and charges form a significant part of the housing costs in the Lower Mainland,” he said. “It all winds up on the backs of home buyers.”
While housing developers should not be viewed as “a pot of gold” by municipalities, Becker said fees must also be set to cover costs, and the city must be competitive with neighbouring jurisdictions.
“It’s not a race to the bottom.”
The report identified community amenity contributions as a process which frequently causes issues for residential developments. They are unique to B.C. cities, and unlike development cost charges, which have a fixed cost per square foot, the amenity fees are negotiated.
These amenities often include civic facilities, public art, parks, trails or land.
The Fraser Institute also identified local opposition as a deterrent to developers.
“As an increasing number of people move to Canada’s major cities, high housing prices persist in its most desirable markets,” said the report’s authors, Kenneth P. Green and Josef Filipowicz, in their executive summary.
“With growing concerns about housing affordability and prices, understanding how public policy affects the supply of new homes is critical.”