Interesting that Kamloops is on this list. I sat with a Kamloops Econ dev officer at an event and she told me that they can approve a permit in weeks, and they’re hungry for development there.
I hear that sort of thing in Guelph too. Is it a case of "they can get approved right away---if they put in all the stuff they complain sucks all the profit out of the project"? We had developers with OKs that when the province changed the rules seemed to instantly found problems that they appealed to the Land Tribunal. It seems to me that if you have a need, and the developers aren't building, there shouldn't be any excuses. The city just needs to change the rules until developers start developin---".
Thanks, Richard. Looking at news coverage, there's stories about TRU students having a lot of trouble finding housing, but it could be that municipal government isn't a significant bottleneck there.
Interesting that Kamloops is on this list. I sat with a Kamloops Econ dev officer at an event and she told me that they can approve a permit in weeks, and they’re hungry for development there.
I hear that sort of thing in Guelph too. Is it a case of "they can get approved right away---if they put in all the stuff they complain sucks all the profit out of the project"? We had developers with OKs that when the province changed the rules seemed to instantly found problems that they appealed to the Land Tribunal. It seems to me that if you have a need, and the developers aren't building, there shouldn't be any excuses. The city just needs to change the rules until developers start developin---".
Good question - I think you're probably best placed to assess the regulatory environment in Guelph!
In terms of setting priorities at the top, Guelph's mayor seems quite pro-housing. https://www.therecord.com/local-guelph/news/2023/02/02/just-no-gimmicks-around-seriousness-of-housing-crisis-in-guelph-mayor-says-at-state-of-the-city-event.html
At the same time, Guelph developers aren't happy with the recent overhaul of Guelph's zoning. https://www.guelphmercury.com/news/developers-file-appeal-over-guelphs-new-zoning-rules/article_c8131cbe-2699-5706-9d94-5fa6efc5e260.html
Guelph's Mayor is pretty much reviled by the other people on Council when it comes to building housing.
Now I'm curious! I'll have to check out some Guelph council meetings.
Thanks, Richard. Looking at news coverage, there's stories about TRU students having a lot of trouble finding housing, but it could be that municipal government isn't a significant bottleneck there.
Criteria that the province used to select municipalities: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Selection_Index_Indicators.pdf
The housing shortage in Kamloops: https://cfjctoday.com/2022/09/08/were-in-the-same-cycle-every-year-tru-students-feel-kamloops-housing-crunch/