The first part of our comprehensive Local Economic Action Plan to jumpstart Vancouver's economy

VANCOUVER, B.C. on the Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh — William Azaroff, Mayoral Candidate for OneCity, today announced the first phase of the party’s Local Economy Action Plan (LEAP), a citywide plan to legalize and support the neighbourhood economy from corner stores, home-based businesses, childcare, clinics, repair shops, and cultural spaces that let people build a livelihood close to where they live.

"Right now, it’s illegal if you want to open a bike repair shop in your alley – that’s ridiculous," said William Azaroff. "We need to grow our economy from the laneway up, not just the head-office down. We should trust our neighbours to do good things, in small ways, that help each other.” 

Good Business Starts at Home is built on six commitments:

• Modernized home-based business rules – legal pathways for residents to run low-impact businesses from home, supporting caregivers, newcomers, disabled residents, artists, and freelancers who can't afford expensive commercial rent.

• More corner stores and small neighbourhood shops – grocers, bakeries, cafés, florists, barbers, bike repair, and pharmacies permitted in residential areas, prioritized near schools, parks, transit, and seniors' housing.

• Common sense rules to manage impact – backed up with rules on noise, waste, accessibility, and hours of operation, so legalizing backyard businesses is paired with regulation that keeps people safe and healthy. 

• Simpler approval for small cultural and community venues – rehearsal rooms, art studios, galleries, community kitchens, and maker spaces treated as core parts of a healthy neighbourhood. 

• Streamlined permitting for pop-ups and temporary uses – vacant storefronts, plazas, libraries, and underused civic space opened up for markets, food vendors, and local business testing.

Good Business Starts at Home responds to a basic mismatch in how Vancouver is zoned and licensed today. Many residential neighbourhoods are built as places to sleep, and not places where residents can easily buy groceries, access childcare, see a doctor, get a haircut, or start a small business. That gap is most visible in solely residential neighbourhoods where people, schools, and parks already exist, but everyday services don't. It also shows up downtown, where high commercial rents shut out entrepreneurs, artists, and nonprofits who can't afford a formal storefront.

"I believe Vancouverites can, and will, build great things when given the chance," said Azaroff. "The City shouldn’t stop your dreams. We want to make them possible."

Under Good Business Starts at Home, Council would direct staff to report back within one year with an Enabling the Neighbourhood Economy Action Plan, including a review of zoning and licensing barriers, a modernized home-based business policy, and a public engagement process with renters, seniors, small businesses, immigrant entrepreneurs, and other cultural organizations and stakeholders. Implementation would begin with pilot areas representing different neighbourhood contexts, including a neighbourhood facing commercial displacement, an outer-city area with limited local services, and a high-growth apartment corridor. Within two years, the City would bring forward zoning and licensing amendments citywide.

"This will help regular people get ahead," said Frances Bula, Council Candidate with OneCity. "Whether you’re a hair stylist cutting hair in your basement or want to serve coffee out of your garage, you can start small, expand, and everyone wins."

About OneCity Vancouver
OneCity is a progressive political movement with more than 4,800 members and more than a decade of electoral success in Vancouver politics, championing a city for workers, a city with housing for everyone, and a city that grows small businesses and services so Vancouverites can have a voice, a place, and a future.

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