The City of Delta has issued 242 occupancy permits since receiving the Housing Target Order from the Province last October. Delta Council will review the six-month, interim report to the Province on the City’s progress towards the Housing Target Order at the May 6, 2024 Regular meeting.
Doreann Mayhew, General Manager of Development, noted, “We observed an increase in units since receiving the provincial order, reflecting projects that were already in the queue and a number of secondary suites brought into compliance. As for our future targets, the City has made significant progress in establishing frameworks to support the addition of housing with our update to the OCP, which should start to make a difference in the next year or so.”
The most notable action by the City to help achieve the housing target was the completion of an update to the Official Community Plan. This update has been referred to Metro Vancouver and the Agricultural Land Commission for statutory reviews prior to adoption. In December 2023, the City adopted a new Development Application Procedures Bylaw, which streamlines the development and building application processes, in addition to expanding the digital management of applications to expedite processing times.
Mayhew added: “The City is starting to see more applications and interest as a result of these efforts, but this progress is not reflected in the Province’s latest reporting requirements. We understand that this is a new process for the Province and the City and our hope is that there will be room to refine the reporting requirements to better reflect the efforts to add housing in our community.”
As part of the May 6 Council Report, staff are recommending the Office of the Mayor write to the Minister of Housing with a request to simplify the reporting requirements to more accurately depict development and building activity in the city.
Delta was issued a Housing Target Order by the Province last year, requiring the City add 3,607 net new units over five years. The Order sets annual targets and requires regular reports from the City. No target was set for this interim report, which measures progress since the order was issued six months ago. The first target for Delta has been set at 514 net new units by September 30, 2024.
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