The Province has embarked on a new housing plan that aims to make sweeping changes to zoning bylaws to increase the supply of townhomes, duplexes and triplexes—the so-called missing-middle housing. Province said its new housing plan will speed up new homes, fight real estate speculation, and create more affordable housing.
The engine of this change will be a new legislation the government plans to bring this fall. The Province didn’t specify the locations, but said the new law will apply to many areas in BC and will allow up to 4 units on a traditional single-family detached lot, or 3 depending on the size and type of lot. More density may be permitted in areas well-served by transit, it added. These units include townhomes, duplexes and triplexes.
“People want to build these homes, people want to live in these homes, and communities want to grow while retaining the character people love, but these outdated policies make that difficult, and in some places impossible. That’s why we are acting to change this restrictive zoning approach and make it easier for people to build small scale, multi-unit homes,” the province said.
Over the next few months, BC says it will work with municipalities on this zoning change, discussing the different types of lots, building setbacks, and height requirements. BC said the new law will reduces costs and delays related to time-intensive re-zoning processes, and makes better use of existing infrastructure. Here are some changes being planned as part of the new housing plan:
1, Starting later this year, legislation will be introduced to allow secondary suites allowed in every community across the province.
2, By mid-2023, housing targets will be established in approximately eight to ten municipalities with the greatest need and highest projected growth and will build on existing requirements for local governments to create Housing Needs Reports that identify housing demands and supply factors. The names of these municipalities have yet to be released.
3, In 2023, a newly dedicated single window application process will be launched for all housing related permits overseen by the province. BC is also asking municipalities to build faster and approve housing developments quickly.
4, BC says it will explore new opportunities and ways to build new rental buildings, as well as expanding and maintaining existing purpose built rental buildings
5, Forgivable loans will be offered to homeowners to build and rent secondary suites to increase affordable rental supply faster.
6, There are plans to introduce a flipping tax to discourage short term speculation.
The copy of the “Homes for People” housing plan can be seen here.
N_Dj says
EXCELLENT, someone will fill their pockets with good money, the already crowded cities will take more people, no infrastructure (traditionally) will follow the population growth, more side streets will get more parking meters to milk even more money, more limitations will be introduced to regulate (already) unbearable living conditions and expenses in big cities, the home renting cost will sky-rocket, more taxes will be introduced to fight the climate changes and the property taxes will go up…
The Province will keep inventing more unfavorable and costly “solutions” to the people, for problems they created…
scott says
Well said.
Liz Ward says
What about a desperately needed Hospital to care for all this population growth, plus parking.
People are missing Dr. appointments because they cannot find a place to park !!!
Ihor Zalubniak says
And … it’s not anticipated that owners of SF lots won’t speculate on increased value of the space available to build on. You cannot, repeat cannot control the market side of value unless you so overwhelm the market with the amount of available units. Should that be done the availability of the space for sale to do so will dry up. This in turn will cause exiting SF lot holders to do their own speculation process.
Ask the apple farmers in the Okanogan what happened to their orchards when it was discovered that grapes were more profitable.