The City of Delta isn’t doing enough when it comes to addressing its housing target given by the province.
That was the surprising jab by the B.C. government this week with the release of a six-month update on housing targets given to the first 10 “priority communities” including Delta, noting that that more than 4,000 net new homes have been built for people and more are coming as the second set of targets are released.
According to the Ministry of Housing, the evaluation of progress included the assessment of net new units, policy actions, initiatives, innovative approaches and partnerships that municipalities put in place to create the conditions needed to increase housing supply. Communities such as Victoria and Port Moody have shown significant progress.
However, Delta, along with the District of Oak Bay and the District of West Vancouver, are not making as much progress as expected.
“These municipalities are encouraged to expedite their processes and comply with the new requirements to ensure that housing is being built where it’s needed. Compliance measures may be taken if satisfactory progress is not made by the time annual progress reports are made, to ensure that municipalities are taking action to build homes for people as quickly as possible,” the ministry warns.
Reiterating the evaluation of progress goes beyond just the assessment of net new units, the ministry says the six-month interim report findings, highlighting the percentage of progress towards first annual net-new targets, has Delta at 22 per cent of 514 units.
According to a progress Delta planning staff report this May on the city’s response to the provincial Housing Target Order for Delta, between Oct. 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, there was notable development and building approval activity with 242 occupancy permits issued.
In addition, strong efforts were made towards approving projects at all stages of development, including third reading granted for 990 units, final reading granted for 67 units, development permits issued for 211 units and building permits issued for 206 units, the report notes.
In late March, the Housing Targets Branch released the Housing Target Progress Report Form that municipalities are required to complete.
Delta staff communicated that the report form has some significant challenges, most notably the requirement to deduct demolition permits against the occupancy permits issued.
Demolition permits represent the start of a development, but it can be years before an occupancy permit is issued for the project.
The report adds it is expected that as the pace of development increases in Delta, so will the number of demolition permits, however, under the Housing Target Order and reporting format, the city can’t count new construction units until they are completed and ready for occupancy.
The province had estimated that Delta’s total housing need is 4,809 net new units over the next five years. The housing target set for Delta by the province is 3,607 units, representing the number of net new units needed to meet 75 percent of estimated need.
The figure was the minimum number of net new completed units that in Delta within the next five years, ending Sept. 30, 2028.
During council’s discussion, frustration was conveyed about having to use occupancy permits as the measure, with staff noting the issuing of a building permit should be the last checkpoint as occupancy permits rely on developers’ construction timelines.
Meanwhile, council is hoping to have final approval granted soon for a major Official Community Plan (OCP) update, which is to encourage more housing development.
Major elements of the previously approved Delta Housing Action Plan have been incorporated into the OCP, simplifying land use designations and proposing where growth should be concentrated and what building types should be considered.
The city has also undertaken a number of streamlining measures, which was noted in the city’s recently released 2023 annual report.
