Affordable new housing is essential to Surrey. This is mainly due to the housing shortage and lack of quality housing. Brenda Locke’s Plan for Surrey Mayor also includes space standards as a minimum to improve housing and provide better living standards and wants to Set the standard goals for a city building.
In response to the increasing affordability of housing in Surrey, the Affordable Housing Strategy has been developed. The strategy included researching to compile Surrey housing data, stakeholder consultations, and an online resident survey.
How can we make homes affordable for everyone?
There are many things the government can do to make housing more affordable. Housing benefits and public housing are the most common housing assistance for low-income households. Rent regulation (including rent stabilization) is enforced in most countries but is rarely applied consistently. Many measures are now aimed at helping prospective or existing homeowners, including tax breaks, subsidies, and mortgage support.
But well-intentioned housing measures risk only benefiting specific population segments, making housing more affordable for some while potentially increasing housing prices for others. For example, tax cuts to encourage homeownership tend to benefit high-income households in particular. In a tight housing market, landlords can claim public housing benefits and boost overall rents.
Governments faced with these challenges can do something in her three areas:
We need to discuss the future of these lands in terms that place future discussions between the City and the Federal Government at risk.
Increase investment in affordable public housing.
Public investment in housing has halved on average since 2001, while the relative size of the social housing stock has shrunk in six countries. The pandemic has made a new public investment in housing even more critical as countries begin the path to economic recovery. For example, Australia, Canada, and France authorities have announced large-scale social and affordable housing investments since the pandemic began. A better target for public support for housing.
It is possible to make better use of scarce public resources by:
Assuring that social housing assistance is provided to the most vulnerable households. Examples include phasing out tax incentives that favor high-income homeowners and eliminating or limiting mortgage interest deductions. Make the private rental market more affordable. Many OECD countries need to pay more attention to the private rental market. As a result, much-needed investments in rental supply could be made. Measures include a better balance of rules governing the relationship between tenants and landlords. Carefully designed rent stabilization measures will relieve struggling tenants in a tight rental market while limiting potential long-term suppression of rental supply.
Make the private rental market more affordable.
Many countries need to pay more attention to the private rental market. Measures include a better balance of rules governing the relationship between tenants and landlords. Carefully designed rent stabilization measures will relieve struggling tenants in a tight rental market while limiting potential long-term suppression of rental supply.
Strategies:
Brenda Locke’s policies and actions are set out in Surrey’s Affordable Housing Strategy, which focuses on Surrey’s dedicated market and non-market rental housing:
- Dedicated Rental Housing loss prevention
- Strengthen Tenant Protection
- Provide incentives for the development of new rental housing
- Increase the supply of affordable housing for low- to middle-income tenant households.
Policies and Regulation
Renovation of rental apartments: Rent compensation and help with moving tenants.
In 2018, the city passed Policy O-61, Redevelopment of Rental Housing: Tenant Replacement and Tenant Relocation Assistance. This policy establishes requirements for the rehabilitation of exclusive rental housing and the provision of rehabilitation assistance to tenants.
Affordable Housing Contributions
In 2018, the Council approved the Surrey Affordable Housing Strategy. The strategy recommends affordable housing donations of US$1,000 per unit to support the development of new affordable rental housing in Surrey. Donations for affordable housing are community contributions listed in Appendix G of the Building Code.
Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) and Density Bonus
See how the city uses community amenities contributions and density bonuses to help fund and build community facilities.
Surrey Homeless and Housing Fund
In June 2007, the Surrey City Council approved the creation of the new Surrey Homeless and Housing Fund. $9 million from the city’s affordable housing preserve was used to set up the fund. The Surrey Homelessness and Housing Society oversees the fund and supports Surrey’s solutions for the homeless and affordable housing in Surrey.
Surrey Homeless Housing Master Plan
The Homeless Housing Master Plan for Surrey, developed in partnership with Housing and Fraser Health, identifies and addresses the need for long-term housing and support services for homeless people or at risk of becoming homeless.
Register to vote and elect Brenda Locke in Surrey. To achieve sustainable economic development for the city, and do better and reach higher.
