We are very concerned about it. We understand that in some cases there is a tradeoff between making the region more affordable by adding more housing, and making an individual neighbourhood less affordable by replacing older, more affordable housing stock.

Whenever we are given the choice, we strongly prefer allowing more market-rate housing in wealthy neighbourhoods before underprivileged ones. Sadly, our municipal policy often does the exact opposite – for example, Burnaby has chosen to focus on densifying existing affordable rental housing stock in Metrotown while sheltering the surrounding wealthier single-family neighbourhoods from change. Likewise most of Vancouver’s tony West Side is off-limits to development, accelerating the pace of change in neighbourhoods where new housing is allowed.