The announcement of Canada's first National Housing Strategy was announced by Justin Trudeau on November 22, 2017, which promises $40 billion of investment in affordable homes.

Prime Minister Trudeau said, “We need to change our approach to housing and stop thinking about housing as a problem. Housing is actually a solution. It’s the best tool we have for some really significant challenges, whether that’s for health, crime, climate change, unemployment, or reconciliation... Affordable housing has made all the difference for folks from all walks of life. But in recent decades, our housing stock has aged and the federal government’s role has diminished.”

This strategy is making housing a priority and the $40 Billion investment, spread over a 10-year period, will be funded jointly by the federal, provincial and territorial governments. It addresses a large range of challenges and covers the entire housing continuum.

With this joint investment, there are targets that this strategy hopes to attain which include 100,000 new housing units created, 300,000 existing units repaired and renewed, 300,000 households supported through the Canada Housing Benefit amongst others seen below.

For all of your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively, at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

The City of Vancouver has a desire to redevelop the Cambie Corridor and launched the three-phase planning program in 2009 with the purpose of guiding long-term, transit-oriented growth. The Cambie Corridor is located in central south Vancouver and encompasses approximately 2,471 acres. This area extends 6km from West 16th Avenue to the Fraser River and is bordered by Oak Street and Ontario Street. The Cambie Corridor has roughly the same population as the West End, but five times the land area. 4 out of the 9 Canada Line stations are within the Cambie Corridor. Map view can be found below.

Source: City of Vancouver, Cambie Corridor Phase 3 Community Profile

Currently, Phase 3 is underway by building on the plan, focusing on land use and new housing opportunities while remaining within close proximity to the Canada Line stations. On June 12, 2017, the City announced that there are 11,500 new homes planned for the Cambie Corridor, of which more than 4,000 are intended to be "affordable" homes, including social and rental units that are linked to residents' incomes.

“The third phase of the Cambie Corridor Plan is the first of many exciting steps that puts the City’s Housing Strategy into action with vision for the neighbourhood that delivers a housing mix that meets peoples’ needs,” said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. “I’ve heard loud and clear that people want a mix of housing – rental, townhomes and row houses – near schools, parks and transit in Vancouver’s low-density neighbourhoods. This plan for the Cambie Corridor provides that and more.”

According to the City, the new interim 10-year housing targets will create housing that is "based on what people can afford, in new locations, and in housing forms that will meet the needs of our diverse population". These housing targets will be refined throughout the fall and will form part of the final Housing Vancouver Strategy.

For all your real estate needs, contact Amalia Liapis at 604-618-7000 or alternatively at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca.

In today's time and age, location is definitely key, especially in Metro Vancouver. Choosing where to live includes various factors and we'll shed light on some ways to save money by being environmentally conscious about your choice of location.

First off, situate yourself in "green" neighbourhoods. What we mean by that is, look at properties that are in close proximity to work, school, shopping, community centres and other services. In doing so, the commute to these areas take up less fuel and subsequently, are easier on your wallet and the environment.

Another suggestion is to situate yourself in a transit-oriented area. Nowadays, many neighbourhoods are being built with transit as their focus. There is a shift towards shared driving or utilizing Car2Go as there has been a reduction in car ownership in Vancouver.

Choosing a walkable neighbourhood will offer health, environmental , financial and community benefits. Take a look at WALKSCORE to calculate the walkability score of your neighbourhood.

Contact us by e-mail at info@wesellvancouver.ca or by phone at 604-801-6654 if you have any questions in regards to buying or selling!

Leasehold properties allow home buyers to climb the property ladder in a much more affordable manner. With savings of $100K or more, choosing this route seems like a wise decision, especially in this day and age where housing costs seem to be increasing exponentially. But what exactly is a leasehold property?

In layman's terms, a leasehold property is basically an ownership agreement in which you purchase the home but rent the land. In Vancouver, this type of ownership is not as common as freehold ownership but it is more prominent in certain areas of the West End, False Creek and UBC. In contrast to their freehold counterparts, leasehold properties are, generally speaking, more attractively priced, more spacious and in better neighbourhoods.

Getting into the technical details, leasehold properties are owned by the city, governments, First Nations bands, universities and other approved public authorities. The land is leased out to a developer typically between 50 to 99 years. The land is used for developing housing which is then sold or rented out to homeowners at a far more affordable price in comparison to freehold ownerships.

For all your real estate needs, contact us today by email at amalia@wesellvancouver.ca or by phone at 604-618-7000!