Vancouver's made it easier to get a housing permit

The process of getting a development permit in the City of Vancouver has improved over the past year and is expected to continue to do so.

The city’s mayor says that efforts to speed up processing times for new permits have proved successful even as the City deals with a record level of development.

Single-storey laneway home permits can now be expediated within a week and further improvements are being implemented this fall.
These include:
  • a single point of contact to all projects;
  • service-level agreements and committing to specific customer return times for permits for affordable housing and low-density housing projects, to ensure projects move forward in a timely way;
  • setting time limits and separated queues to reduce lineups for permit applicants.
“Delays to get basic permits are frustrating, and not acceptable. A swift and simple permitting process at the City is critical for addressing Vancouver’s housing challenges and to help facilitate housing delivery of all kinds across the City,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson.

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