Vancouver, March 31, 2025 – PC Urban Properties Corp. and Harrison Street Asset Management are partnering on a new, innovative, two tower rental development at 13th and Willow, directly across from Vancouver General Hospital, aimed specifically at healthcare workers. This is the first development of its kind in Vancouver – and one of the first in Canada – and it will provide 507 high-quality, fully furnished, affordable rental homes designed to meet the needs of hospital employees and healthcare workers.
PC Urban previously rezoned the site last year as a two tower rental development with 354 homes. However, subsequent to final adoption of the zoning bylaw, the opportunity arose to recast the site to provide housing prioritizing healthcare workers. A new rezoning application was submitted in the fall and approved in February of this year with unanimous City approval. Construction will be underway this fall, making it one of the largest projects to start construction in the city this year.
Located on the southwest corner of West 13th Avenue and Willow, the site is across the street from Vancouver General Hospital and will include – as per the previous rezoning – two, 22 storey towers, a 11,000 square foot, two-storey, extended hours childcare facility that will serve as a significant benefit to medical and support staff who work shifts, as well as wellness and rooftop amenities. All homes will be aligned with Westside Area Development Cost Levy (DCL) affordable rates.
“This is a pioneering opportunity to build much needed, affordable rental housing for our healthcare workers. One of the biggest challenges we face in Vancouver is finding homes for people we rely on to look after us in the event of illness,” says Brent Sawchyn, CEO of PC Urban. “It is also validation for the Vancouver real estate industry where there are many project approvals, but few moving forward. This shows there’s enthusiasm for investing in alternative real estate strategies in our city.”
Recognizing the growth at VGH with the upcoming campus expansion and the resulting rise in workforce numbers, this development aims to ease ongoing housing challenges faced by the existing 12,000+ hospital employees, 35% of whom travel 2+ hours per day to commute. In addition, with less than 15% of first responders living within City limits, the development also aims to help maximize the number of staff living nearby, reducing commutes, enabling faster response times during crises and improving existing recruitment and retention challenges.
“What makes this project particularly meaningful is that there wasn’t an existing policy framework for this kind of housing,” says Sawchyn. “City planning staff worked tirelessly to bring this project to reality, and Council were open-minded and collaborative in helping create a path forward; something that could serve as a precedent for future workforce housing in Vancouver.”
“Our role as a City is to create the conditions for new, innovative housing approaches to come forward,” said Dan Garrison, Director of Housing Policy for the City of Vancouver. “Enabling affordable housing near Vancouver General Hospital is a practical step that supports the hospital, healthcare workers, and the broader community. It also aligns with the Vancouver Official Development Plan by advancing our goal of building complete, connected neighborhoods. We thank PC Urban for their leadership and creativity in creating a first-of-its-kind affordable housing solution in Vancouver.”
The two residential rental buildings have been redesigned to include a mix of studios, one- bedroom, and two-bedroom fully-furnished homes with utilities, Wi-Fi, and other amenities included in the rent.
Amenities will include rooftop indoor and outdoor spaces with gathering areas, dining areas, workout spaces, guest suites for visitors, and children’s play areas. There will also be a large gym, flexible indoor space, and an activated laneway with a small outdoor amenity terrace and a dog run area.
This project prioritizes sustainability and seeks to achieve LEED Gold certification. EV charging stations and spaces for car share will be provided, as well as onsite bicycle facilities such as off-street bicycle lockers/rooms and bike and repair wash facilities. The site is well served by transit, 950m from the Broadway City Hall station and 600m from the future rapid transit station on Broadway and Laurel Street.
Completion is estimated for mid-2029.
