The City is reviewing the bonuses provided to incentivise more affordable and sustainable development projects. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

bonus

Nanaimo councillors indicate support for more incentives to boost housing density

Apr 27, 2021 | 2:13 PM

NANAIMO — The City of Nanaimo is on track to offer more incentives to housing developers to increase the amount of units available in apartments, condos and townhouses.

City council on Monday, April 26 gave two readings to a motion amending a zoning bylaw which provides points to developers who add amenities and affordable options to their builds.

The additional incentives include promoting purpose-built rental housing which can’t become condos for 10 years and including affordable and non-market housing in projects.

“These are not imposed requirements,” planner Caleb Horn explained to council. “They’re offered as incentives property owners and developers can use to gain additional density. At no point do we say ‘You must present all of the units for affordable housing.'”

The change to incentives came from Nanaimo’s affordable housing strategy.

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“We’re creating more opportunity to get more density without changing the goal posts for density. We’re hoping it will create a range of options and flexibility (for developers),” Horn said.

Coun. Don Bonner voted in favour of the motion but questioned why it didn’t go further.

“There’s nothing way out of the box here. How do we make a big change?” he asked.

“How do we go about saying ‘We want you to build another floor and we want you to ensure all those units…are below-market rentals for the next 10 years? How do we incentivise developers?”

Dale Lindsay, general manager of development services, said their affordable housing strategy is vast but it does require input from developers and some caveats.

“At the end of the day the project has to be viable to build. That’s the fine line we walk in all of this and why we approach it as an incentive program versus a stick program.”

City staff indicated a larger review of all incentives provided by the City will be conducted later in 2021.

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On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt