In response to the draft Ambleside Local Area Plan, North Shore Community Housing Action (CHAC) notes sixteen selected studies that specifically target the importance of improving housing in the Ambleside area. Drawing from these studies, with an emphasis on the Official Community Plans (“OCP”), and the recent Housing Needs Report (“HNR”), CHAC makes six recommendations for the Ambleside Local Area Plan (LAP).
- Housing affordability advocacy: The District of West Vancouver (“District”) should adopt a stronger advocacy role to actively seek Provincial funding and other support for West Vancouverites in severe housing need.
- More rental housing, including non-market rental, supportive, and cooperative housing: The District should approve and encourage more rental housing, including non-market rental, supportive, and cooperative housing.
- Seniors’ housing in accessible areas: West Vancouver should provide seniors’ housing in areas that are walkable, close to transit, in proximity to senior services, and near support systems they can access independently.
- Mixed-use housing, coach houses, duplexes, and townhouses: The District should seek opportunities to provide mid-rise mixed-use housing throughout and along the Ambleside corridor. We also recommend that coach houses, duplexes, and townhouses be built in neighbourhood areas. And, to increase affordability, the District should consider incentives to promote secondary suites.
- Increase capacity targets in the OCP: The District should revisit and increase the Ambleside capacity targets to account for additional rental housing units required to overcome the local concerns identified in the HNR and OCP.
- Create a more complete community: The District should adopt the strategy developed by Enhance West Vancouver, which will be of great benefit to West Vancouver. As well, the District should support day care programs for younger families.
CHAC’s Response to the Draft Ambleside Local Area Plan (“LAP”) can be read in it’s entirety here.