City of Vancouver: Affordable Homeownership Study

CitySpaces Consulting was retained by the City of Vancouver to undertake a comprehensive study of affordable homeownership programs, tools, and mechanisms applicable to Vancouver. Core tasks included undertaking background research, contextual analysis, engagement processes, in-depth case study research, and the development of an assessment framework to compare and rate the case study findings.

The final report included assessing the applicability of the case studies to Vancouver, recommendations, and next steps for implementing a local affordable homeownership program, and a summary of public and stakeholder engagement processes, including an examination of the housing preferences of non-owners and their primary motivation to purchase a home.

CitySpaces was asked to support additional engagement processes after project completion and, based on the findings of this work, has since published an article in Plan Canada (Spring 2023) and presented at the 2023 PIBC Conference. The findings also informed the City’s multiplex program, which includes an option for including a below-market ownership unit.

CitySpaces undertook all core tasks related to the project, in consultation and collaboration with City staff, including drafting the final report and presenting to the municipal council in a workshop setting.

For more information, check out our Plan Canada article on affordable home ownership, authored by Julia Bahen and Kevin Green.

CLIENT: City of Vancouver