The challenge is, land costs in Vancouver are so high, that building a three bedroom apartment unit commands a resale price of well over a million dollars. So working families looking for an affordable housing model are still priced out.

The second issue is the commodification of housing here in metro Vancouver. It is more lucrative for developers to build small one bedroom units, and lots of them - and in turn sell them to investors or speculators, or simply those that want to deposit money (overseas or otherwise) into a tidy little safety deposit box.

Outside of metro Vancouver - yes townhouses and multi-bedroom units become more affordable due to lower land costs, and are more available as they are a viable alternative for working families.