The cost of housing is high due to government intervention

Housing would be cheaper if it were more profitable for builders to build upward rather than outward through elimination of height and minimum setback restrictions, requiring infill buildings to have the ground floor(s) used for retail and office space, imposing maximum automobile parking of 0, decreasing development charges to 0 for infill and increased for low-density land use, and basing property taxes on the value of land alone rather than both land and building.

Cost of housing..

Danny, you may be right. Your suggestions might reduce the cost of housing but would most of us like to live in such a Vancouver??

there's an ocean of people with money

still out there looking for safe haven in coming bad times. All densification will do (upwards or outwards) is bring more of them and sooner. Unless purchasing rights for existing Vancouverites (or even Pacific Columbians) are protected by law, the outbidding will continue.

government intervention

I have a different opinion than Danny. In the late 70's and into the 80's there was a great deal of government intervention into the housing sector especially into cooperative housing. There were far more opportunities for affordable housing back then than now.

Seems the higher density towers in the downtown core didn't bring housing down but perhaps inflated it.

High rise development in White Rock saw brought higher prices not cheaper.

Affordable housing

As the city, provincial, and federal governments are not interested in or able to effect real change in the numbers of safe affordable housing stock, perhaps its time they embrace and support this alternative form.
There is a lot of undeveloped and unused sites and parking areas, which with the addition of a few necessities (hook ups for power, water, and sanitation, or washroom facilities with showers) would at least allow mobile housing dwellers to live safely with dignity.
I know people who presently live in RVs, daily having to master the difficulties of finding a place to park, living without dependable access to power, water, and washroom facilities. Add all that to the daily grind of working (yes they work at full time jobs), and all the other tasks we all do every day.
Every place I go I see seemingly abandoned or unused properties and spaces, which with little effort or cost could become alternate temporary to permanent housing, all it would take is the will and permission of the local and provincial powers that be.

Very sad.

As one who currently lives in a smaller community in the southern interior and one who was raised in a rural setting, this is a sad and pathetic situation. Not only are young people holing up in cave-like atmospheres addicted to all the social media devices of the day, older people are forced to live in their RV's due to the high cost of living.
As Canadians, we are unique in a lot of ways because of our historical proximity and use of our northern boreal forests and wilderness. However, we now have the majority of Canadians living in larger cities within 50 miles of the USA border. IMO, we are losing our uniqueness and simply becoming a dumbing down version of the American/Canadian dream. I am fearful for my grandchildren and their children where we simply become tied to the mindless consumerism of urban dwellers who believe milk comes from a carton rather than a cow.

Living in your van in Vancouver

There is nothing new about this. In the 1950's the principal of Henry Hudson Elementary in Kits worked hard to find a place where families who had kids in his school, but were living in their cars
(using the washrooms in two local gas stations) could have a weekly shower.I live in an area now where we have UBC grad students in a RV moving their location every 2 weeks...not far, need to stay on the same bus route to get to school, but they are in their second year of doing this..and the CBC did radio interviews of some earlier students living the same way. When we first moved to this area 30 years ago, there was an almost permanent floating pool of Romany trailers. a few years later,when the houses started to gentrify they moved on, but dont ever think its unusual to live like this in Vancouver

Nobody NEEDS Vancouver!

I would not be surprised if many of the people "needing" housing in Vancouver, could as easily do their work from home over the internet!
Meaning they could live anywhere! --- given some flexibility from the employers.

Some factories have had the foresight to locate outside the central area and as a result the workers have also moved out of there.

Freeing up on requirements would please any developer, but cause endless damage,--------- beside the frustration of trying to live in 300 square feet (which seems to be the latest design).

Vancouver has become what it is chasing the almigthy dollar, looking the other way when mature trees happen to give way for concrete driveways with several luxury vehicles displayed!

Best advice is to abandon that place and settle for a less hectic life elsewhere ---yes, give up on your need to attend every damned "festival" and spend time with your family instead!

Ah - The "Sunset" Years.......

Good to know that Christy's $475G credit card "expense" takes precedence......

What happened?

"In the late 70's and into the 80's there was a great deal of government intervention into the housing sector especially into cooperative housing. There were far more opportunities for affordable housing back then than now."

Agreed, but What happened? Did we just stop caring? I remember when Vancouver developed the False Creek area, all sorts of coops were supposed to be built but it didnt happen. There were as many money grubbing developers as there are now. In fact the incestuous link between developer, car salesman and politician couldn't be more clear.
Ever wonder why Surrey is a mishmash of cul de sacs and sprawl? Back in the 60s and 70s developers were as devious and corrupt as drug pushers. Huge land grabs were common with the help of sympathetic municipal politicians. People were killed and maimed over land deals gone bad.
A place to call home, a tiny piece of space in Vancouver and all of the lowermainland is akin to a bale of cocaine, a bar of gold or apple stock. Its not the same place I grew up in for sure, but the under current of greed has always been there.
Its sad, that Vancouver can blow billions of dollars of tax payer dollars on lavish parties, like Expo 86, the olympics and others, but can't invest anything on housing people. Its a beautiful city that has no soul.

Despite the hype that

Despite the hype that Vancouver is 'the most liveable city in the world', my partner and I are planning an escape. Having seen other cities has changed my mind about this place: its overrated and even if it werent, I cannot afford it and also afford to have kids and/or retire one day.

I wont even start about the rain!