Vancouver rental housing: policy and prospects panel discussion

Josh Gordon is an Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University. His current research looks mainly at the Canadian housing market and housing policy. He has written two reports on the affordability challenges in Toronto and Vancouver, and is working on a book about the Canadian housing market. His research has made the case for policies such as the Foreign Buyer Tax and the Speculation and Vacancy Tax in BC. He has also consulted with governments at the municipal, provincial and federal level, including being on the mayor's external advisory committee for housing from 2016 t o 2018 for the City of Vancouver.

David Hutniak is CEO of LandlordBC and responsible for the external and internal leadership of the organization. LandlordBC’s mandate is to support a balanced and healthy rental housing market with an emphasis on private sector solutions.

David is recognized for his leadership in the rental housing industry by governments, the media, and other stakeholders that call upon him for input and advice as they consider changes that affect both landlords and renters. He is a passionate advocate for the development of new secure purpose-built rental housing for a broad spectrum of incomes, and is recognized for his leadership in the professionalization of the rental housing industry in BC through the introduction of initiatives like the Certified Rental Building™ program and Landlord Registry™.

Prior to joining LandlordBC, David held a senior position with an international consulting firm specializing in managing human capital and, subsequently, mentored and led early-stage technology-driven ventures.

Khelsilem is an Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw leader from Vancouver, British Columbia. In December 2017, he was elected to his first four-year term on the Squamish Nation Council. Subsequent to being elected, he was then appointed by the Council as one of the two official spokespeople. Since being elected, he’s taken the lead on projects like affordable housing development, community planning, language and cultural affairs, governance, Rights & Title, and representing the Squamish Nation’s position on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. In 2017, the Squamish Nation Council formed an arms-length economic development corporation called Nchḵ’ay̓ to lead the development on various economic development projects including the redevelopment of the Squamish Nation’s Kitsilano Reserve lands called Sen̓áḵw. Khelsilem supports the Council in this endeavour as an Indigenous urbanist that believes in the need for complete communities, connected cities through accessible transit, and equitable growth to create shared mutual benefit throughout our society.

Anne McMullin is currently the President & CEO of UDI. Anne has held many leadership and communications roles, including President and General Manager of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Director of Communications at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, President of the BC Salmon Farmers' Association, and a Lower Mainland journalist. Anne volunteers at many organizations, including Better Transit and Transportation Coalition, supporting its goal of providing accessible, affordable transit and transportation for Metro Vancouver, combined with UDI’s call for a smart, regional housing plan to better leverage these taxpayer transit investments.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Tony Pappajohn is a graduate of Simon Fraser University. He has been working in Vancouver real estate for more than 30 years. He is president of the family-owned and operated Jameson Development Corp. Tony’s family has been involved in Vancouver real estate for almost 100 years, including acquisition, restoration, development and management of properties throughout the city. Driven by a respect for heritage, integration, adaptive reuse and infill development, Jameson Development is known for enhancing urban environments with dynamic mixed-use projects.

Tony is dedicated to providing quality multi-family homes. He is currently building market and non-market rental residences with family- and pet-friendly units in Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. Jameson Development currently has two proposals under Vancouver’s moderate income rental housing pilot program.

Tom Davidoff is an associate professor in the Real Estate and Strategy and Business Ecomics groups at the Sauder School of Business, UBC. Prior to joining UBC, Davidoff obtained degrees from Harvard, Princeton, and MIT, and worked in real estate development in Brooklyn and as an assistant professor at UC Berkeley. While at UBC, Davidoff has advised the White House on housing and mortgage policy, and worked with two startup real estate intelligence companies. Davidoff's research on aging, insurance, housing, and public policy has been published in leading journals in finance, real estate, and economics.