As letters to council from local home builders attest, the permit process in Saanich takes longer than it should.

B次元官网网址淲ith replies ranging from 2 to 4 months and B次元官网网址榝orever,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� says an excerpt from a letter to council from Casey Edge of the Victoria Residential Builders Association.

In trying to fix this, district staff came to council with a proposal to tighten the rules related to prioritization of permit applications for affordable housing.

The recommendation B次元官网网址� unanimously accepted by council on March 18 B次元官网网址� was to give priority only to non-market rental and ownership units or cooperative housing that is owned and operated by non-market housing providers. All other applications will be tended to on a first come, first served basis.

Previously, there were several tiers of affordable housing types that would get varying levels of priority. But, according to Lindsay Chase, the districtB次元官网网址檚 planning director, it seemed like this system was being taken advantage of.

B次元官网网址淭his criterion has been abused by applicants who would include the absolute minimum number of qualifying units (i.e., one strata unit at 10% below market), only to have this offer retracted later in the application process after they had benefited from the prioritization service,B次元官网网址� says a letter from the planning department to council recommending changes.

Chase did acknowledge some of the backlog is also due to staff shortages.

B次元官网网址淚t was early this year that we finally achieved full staff complement in the planning department,B次元官网网址� she told councillors. B次元官网网址淎nd that lasted for three days.B次元官网网址�

In his letter to council, Edge opposed having any prioritization system at all, citing studies that show all types of housing, even luxury homes, are needed to address the current shortages in the housing ecosystem.

In pressing for the new rules to be accepted, Mayor Dean Murdock noted the need to encourage affordable housing while pointing out the need for a system that isnB次元官网网址檛 so loose that every new development tries to qualify.

B次元官网网址淲hen everythingB次元官网网址檚 a priority, there are no priorities,B次元官网网址� he said.

READ MORE: