B.C. to table housing law targeting 'outdated zoning rules'
The British Columbia government has introduced legislation aimed at easing the housing crisis by spurring the development of small-scale and multi-unit homes.
The new law would require local governments to update zoning bylaws to permit multi-unit buildings on lots typically used for single-family detached homes.
Cities are to allow at least three units on lots up to 280 square metres in size, while at least four units are to be permitted on larger lots, and at least six units will be allowed on larger lots that are close to transit stops with frequent service.
The legislation applies within urban containment boundaries and municipalities with populations over 5,000, although Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said that doesn't include Vancouver because the city is working under a different system.
“The work with the City of Vancouver is happening right now and my expectation is that in the new year, in the spring, we'll have legislation that will closely align Vancouver's charter to what we believe is the path forward for all municipalities,” Kahlon told a news conference after introducing the legislation on Wednesday.
Vancouver council approved bylaw changes allowing for multi-unit homes in neighbourhoods where only single-family homes had been allowed earlier this fall.
Similar policies have also been introduced in Victoria, Kelowna and Kimberley.
The provincial law would also require at least one secondary suite or laneway home to be allowed on lots zoned single-family or duplex in communities throughout B.C.
A statement from Premier David Eby said “outdated zoning rules” are making it harder for people in B.C. to find a place to live in their own communities.
“Constructing mostly highrise condo towers or single-family homes means B.C. isn't building enough small-scale multi-unit homes that fit into existing neighbourhoods and give people more housing options that are within reach.”
Local governments will be expected to update their bylaws to accommodate the new zoning requirements by the end of June next year, a provincial statement said.
The B.C. government will release $51 million along with a policy manual in order to support the implementation of the required changes, it said.
Kahlon said the legislation is also aimed at “significantly streamlining and speeding up how housing is planned for and approved.”
The changes would phase out one-off public hearings over rezonings for housing developments that are consistent with official community plans, the province said.
“Instead, there will be more frequent opportunities for people to be involved ... earlier in the process when official community plans are updated,” it said.
The new law includes requirements for official community plans to be updated every five years, with public engagement, as well as planning for enough homes to match forecasted growth over the next two decades, rather than five years.
Asked whether the legislation would drive up the value and cost of single-family homes and lots through speculation, Kahlon said the experiences of other jurisdictions suggest a “major” lift is not expected with provincewide changes.
“By doing this in a provincial way, we're actually ensuring that the lift in land value is not as significant as it would be otherwise,” he said.
Kahlon said he expects the legislation will spur “creative solutions” and what that looks like will vary by community.
“We may see some strata units, we may see some units that are staying intact for family reasons. In the end, we want to see more housing options available.”
The proposed law creates a standard for the whole province, Kahlon said.
Single-family homes will still be built by those who can afford them, he added.
The provincial statement said a preliminary analysis indicates B.C. could see more than 130,000 new small-scale homes over the next 10 years as a result of the changes, although it notes that modelling can't account for unforeseen circumstances or the changing nature of housing and real estate markets.
The legislation comes ahead of a provincial pilot project launching next spring to provide forgivable loans of up to $40,000 to help homeowners build a secondary suite and rent it out below market rates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.