Revised Vancouver Special could help density, affordability, developer says

From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Vancouver Special was considered a great way to turn scarce land into affordable housing in Vancouver.

And according to a developer and former urban planner who once worked in the city, the Vancouver Special — with a few major revisions — could help with the city's current problems with unaffordable single family homes.

Michael Mortensen, in a blog post, calls for a new type of Vancouver Special that would produce seven units over two lots. The purpose would be to provide ground-oriented housing typically favoured by families while also increasing density.

They would be three stories high (instead of the current Specials, which are two stories) provide about 1,100 square feet of living space (instead of 1,500 square feet), and according to Mortensen would be more energy efficient and have fewer parking spaces.

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And the cost? Mortensen's "back-of-napkin financial analysis" suggests that a buyer could expect to pay between $275,000 and $827,000.

"With land costs at $1 million per lot, the cost of new housing generated is not going to be cheap, but it is going to be competitive with new mid and high rise development," Mortensen wrote. "The added benefit is ground access and perhaps more space for your money."

Mortensen thinks his model is best suited for suburban areas outside Vancouver's downtown core, where density is much lower.

To hear the full audio, click the audio labelled: Is a new kind of Vancouver Special the answer to more housing affordability?