Metro Vancouver fires back at Surrey criticism over ‘scope creep’ during housing unveiling

Mayors argue over housing: Two mayors with top spots in the Metro Vancouver regional government are firing back at Surrey politicians criticizing them for building affordable housing projects.

New housing built: Metro Vancouver unveiled a new 85-unit apartment building in Surrey on Friday – one day after Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke put the regional government on blast in an interview.

‘Scope creep’: Locke said Metro Vancouver is a bloated organization that is a victim of “scope creep” by taking on too many projects and not focusing on core sewer and water services.

This followed comments by Surrey Coun. and mayoral candidate Linda Annis, who said Metro Vancouver costs are “out of control.”

“Metro Vancouver also needs to get back to basics, namely sewer and water,” said Annis.

Who should be build housing? Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, chair of the Metro Vancouver board of directors, said the regional government has been building housing for 50 years and that it’s part of its core mandate.

“We’re delivering the type of housing that people need,” said Hurley. “Some people have different opinions and that’s OK.”

Hurley said the board recently did a core review and the majority agreed to continue building housing.

Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy, chair of the housing committee, said the way the rents and costs are structured there’s “virtually no cost to taxpayers.”

“We’re in a housing crisis,” Ruimy said. “Why would we want to walk away from something that is actually delivering the housing that we need? We have 10,000 people who otherwise may not have a home at this point.”

Other projects built: Metro Vancouver has built five different projects in Surrey, and others around the region including Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

Who funded this? The $44.7-million Surrey project was a joint effort, with BC Housing, providing an $8.3-million equity contribution, while Metro Vancouver Housing provided land and equity totaling $14.7 million. The federal government, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, provided a low-interest loan of $29.4 million through the Affordable Housing Fund.

A regional approach is needed to the housing crisis, Ruimy said.

“We can’t do this alone,” he said. “That’s why it works so well because we work together.”

Surrey accused of hypocrisy: Annis said previously that the City of Surrey has also strayed from its core services by undertaking a plan for city-funded medical clinics, calling the plan a “taxpayer burden” and “scope creep.”

Why this project matters: The project unveiled Friday is called Kingston Gardens, replacing 24 townhomes at 15245 – 99th Ave. One-bedroom rents are $1,285 – well below the current average Surrey rents of about $2,200.

The community also has units with two, three and four bedrooms, all at below-market rents.
Residents have access to amenities such as a play court, community gardens, a community kitchen, shared laundry on all floors, and cooling units in the living room of every apartment.
Rents for these units will be below market rates, offering affordability for individuals and families with low to moderate incomes.

This is a $16.1-billion program under the National Housing Strategy that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
Metro Vancouver Housing is one of the largest non-profit housing providers in BC, with more than 3,400 affordable rental homes on 49 sites, serving close to 10,000 people.
There are approximately 800 new homes underway across the region in seven projects, and a further 760 homes at the design and approvals stage in four projects.