[URBAN NOTE] "Metro Vancouver report makes case for more rental units near transit"

[rfmcdonald]

The Globe and Mail features Frances Bula's article. Frankly, I'm unsurprised by it.

The region can tackle two big, expensive problems at once by making sure that low-income renters get some of the space when development happens around transit stations, says a report from Metro Vancouver.

That’s because renters, even when they have the same household income as condo owners, are more likely to take transit, according to new data analysis that looked for the first time at the differences between owners and renters.

The report concludes there’s a triple benefit: Having renters close to transit lines ensures that those lines get high ridership. Giving them easy access to transit gives those residents a boost when it comes to being able to get to jobs and schools.

“Finally, these transit customers may benefit from a resultant reduced overall housing and transportation cost burden relative to their income levels,” said the report. That reduces the need for other provincial programs to help them out.

The difference is especially true for low-income renters, who are twice as likely to take transit as low-income homeowners.