North Vancouver council approves 81 affordable rentals in Maplewood, votes 6-1

The District of North Vancouver council voted 6-1 on July 13 to approve a major affordable housing project in Maplewood, clearing the way for 81 below-market rentals in a six-storey building on municipality-owned land north of Old Dollarton Road.

The project, developed with the Metro Vancouver Housing Program, targets families, seniors, and people with disabilities. It has been years in the making: council first debated using the land for affordable housing in 2020, rezoned the property in 2021, and applied to host a Metro Vancouver project at the site.

Of the 81 units, 24 will have rents geared to tenants' incomes at affordable rates. The remaining 58 will rent at 10 to 20 per cent below market rates. In practice, that means a range of roughly $445 per month for the cheapest studio to $3,500 for a three-bedroom apartment.

Council members in favour cited urgent need. "We urgently need affordable housing," Coun. Catherine Pope said. "We need working people in this community who can't afford to live here. They have to commute across the Second Narrows Bridge every day." Mayor Mike Little supported the project despite preferring a shorter building, praising the Metro Vancouver Housing Program's track record and self-funded model.

Coun. Lisa Muri was the sole vote against. She argued the district should have chosen less environmentally damaging sites—pointing to two previously-mitigated brownfield properties already serviced and ready to build on—rather than clear-cutting forest on challenging terrain.

The building will sit about five minutes' walk from Maplewood shops and services and 300 metres from transit. It includes 51 resident parking spaces and eight visitor spots.