The Record · Vancouver Morning Wire

Your council just approved *another* short-term rental. Really?

Your council just OK'd another short-term rental

We often talk about the housing crunch here in Vancouver, and how it feels like it's tightening around us. So, when you see a short-term rental get the green light, it's worth a look. On April 21st, your city council voted unanimously to approve Business Licence Application No. AL0188353 for a short-term rental at 1801-1788 Columbia Street. Councillor B. Montague, L. Zhou, and S. Orr all voted in favour. Councillor R. Bligh was absent for this one, as well as for the Canada Place public hearing on April 14th.

This kind of vote, even when unanimous, raises questions for some of us. Is another short-term rental really what False Creek needs right now? Or anywhere, for that matter? Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.

What does this mean for the neighbourhood, for the rental market, for people actually trying to find a place to live? It’s another small drop in the bucket, perhaps, but those drops do add up. We’ll be watching to see if this sets a precedent for more approvals, or if there's any shift in how these applications are handled moving forward.

Kenji Nakashima, @westcoastweird_yvr

The morning crew at mornings.live is probably already dissecting this. Go check them out.

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