Housing

Double the high-rises: Why density should be Melbourne’s destiny

by Cara Waters in The Age  

Infrastructure Victoria has used a major new report to call for changes including building 130 more buildings taller than nine storeys in the city centre, setting targets for constructing new homes in established areas and replacing stamp duty.

It sounds the alarm on the social, environmental and economic costs if Melbourne’s growth continues to be predominantly in outer suburbs, where 56 per cent of the city’s development has been occurring.

via Tim Richards

B.C. takes aim at short-term rentals with steeper fines, principal residence rule

by Katie DeRosa in Vancouver Sun  

The B.C. government is taking aim at rule-breaking short term rental operators with a proposed law that would increase fines and ban most short-term rentals that aren’t in the operator’s principal residence.

The goal is to discourage landlords and investors from taking desperately needed suites off the long-term rental market by listing them on websites like Airbnb and VRBO. But housing officials acknowledge that almost 50 per cent of short-term rental operators are already flouting bylaws that exist in local communities.

via Rylan