The City of Revelstoke has received $398,000 to implement a Local Government Development Approvals Program.
One of 43 communities to get funds from the provincial government, the goal of the program is to create more efficient development approval processes to help get homes built faster and support economic recovery.
“Local governments play a critical role in making sure the housing people need in their communities is built quickly and meets local needs. These grants will help them do critical work to modernize development permitting and approvals by removing barriers and streamlining processes,” said Josie Osborne, minister of municipal affairs. “Together, the province, local governments, housing providers and builders can find solutions that support more affordable housing for everyone in B.C.”
The Local Government Development Approvals Program helps local governments implement best practices and develop innovative ways to support non-profit housing organizations, developers and other stakeholders to build essential housing for people around the province as the economy recovers from the pandemic.
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The program has been implemented in several communities including:
•City of North Vancouver is looking at all components of its development approvals process, from the first point of contact to the completion of a building. This includes creating a one-stop client service centre, completing a review of the permitting process, and implementing a form-based zoning bylaw focused on quality design, rather than complex regulation, making it easier to deliver diverse housing solutions.
•District of Summerland is implementing new software to improve tracking, enable electronic applications, and increase the efficiency of multiple development application processes. Summerland is also working in collaboration with the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen to build a regional customer portal as a one-stop shop for all development and building applicants in the region.
•City of Nanaimo is establishing an online application portal and dashboard, reviewing existing processes and associated bylaws, and developing standard templates and guidelines. It is also establishing a joint city-industry building permit advisory working group to work with the development sector to design and implement improvements to the approvals process
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