Thursday July 25, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 11:11 am]
Housing Update by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
One municipality in BC has not proceeded with bylaw changes that the province has mandated to allow for the development of small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH).
Today in Vancouver, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced that he has given the District of West Vancouver 30 days to comply with the required bylaw change. Otherwise the province will move ahead with an order in council to effect the change.
Otherwise, almost 90 percent of communities (162 out of 188 local governments) in BC have changed their zoning and bylaws to allow for small-scale multi-unit housing to be built, Kahlon announced in a brief morning press conference.
The deadline to create or revise bylaws to allow for SSMUH was June 30, 2024, to be in line with Bill 44 legislation — Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act — that was introduced in fall 2023.
What is SSMU:
Small-scale multi-unit housing describes a range of buildings and housing units that can provide attainable housing for middle-income families. Examples of small-scale, multi-unit housing include:
- Secondary suites in single-family dwellings
- Detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), like garden suites or laneway homes
- Triplexes
- Townhomes
- House-plexes
Three to four units are now allowed in single family zones and duplex zones (in communities with populations of 5,000 or greater), and up to six units if near frequent bus service.
The province has facilitated faster development of multi-unit housing by providing ready-to-use housing designs.
Economic shift:
The shift to allow for more and smaller housing units in communities has been driven by high interest rates, global inflation, and zoning restrictions in communities, said Kahlon. He emphasized how government is aware that people need affordable places to live and to have the option to remain in their communities.
He mentioned some shifts in some types of housing arrangements in BC where families are taking advantage of the SSMU model to have multiple generations on one property footprint, or multiple families getting together to acquire property where all their families can be housed.
Some extensions issued:
Kahlon said bylaw compliance extensions have been given to small communities like Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, District of Wells and the City of Greenwoods due to either wildfires happening right now or proven issues with achieving required infrastructure.
Commending good work:
Kahlon commended the interior municipality City of Kelowna, lower mainland municipality City of Burnaby, and on south Vancouver Island the District of Saanich for doing “an excellent job” in moving ahead with bylaw changes to support SSMU.
“It was a lot of work for local government,” said Kahlon today.
===== RELATED:
- Housing is a top election issue says Eby (July 22, 2024)
- Housing supply boost with off-the-shelf multiplex designs (November 16, 2023)
- Saanich is up to the task of building more homes quickly, says Mayor (November 13, 2023)
- Hoped-for housing explosion based on multi-unit zoning (November 2, 2023)
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