Building BC’s Future: Understanding THE New Housing Bills
As Architects, being at the leading edge of new urban planning and housing regulations places us in the prime position to understand future development trends, as well as deliver highest quality products to our clients. One of the key aspects of our role is being able to break down complex regulations and reports into smaller, bite size pieces that are easier to understand and absorb. This is very similar to the old adage of eating an elephant one bite at a time. Only without the severe indigestion and accompanying distress to the elephant.
Increasing the number of homes available throughout British Columbia has been a provincial priority over the past few years. To address this concern, BC’s Ministry of Housing issued a wave of new regulations to assist local authorities, developers and homebuilders to fast track the delivery of new homes and infrastructure. Of particular interest are Bill’s 44, 46 and 47, which together provide a clear path for streamlining housing construction with the goal of providing more than 60,000 net new housing units over the next five years.
To help place this in context, we’ve created a short summary of each bill for ease of digestion:
Bill 44, or Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act 2023, targets zoning regulations to provide increased density, and creates new opportunities for small scale multi-unit housing such as infill, multiplexes, cottage and laneway homes (in addition to secondary suites):
Permits lots zoned for Single family homes or duplexes to have more housing units - generally 3 or 4 units per lot, and up to 6 units on larger lots in higher density areas.
Relaxes minimum parking requirements, particularly in areas with access to public transit
Limits the use of public hearings for projects that are already aligned with the current Official Community Plan (OCP) and zoning bylaws. This is intended to save time and money, preventing lengthy application processes.
Requires municipalities to pro-actively update their OCP with public consultation every five years, and estimate what the local housing need will be in future.
Bill 46, or Housing Statutes (Development Financing) Amendment Act 2023, provides new tools for local authorities to finance the upgrading of new infrastructure and services to support urban development:
Typically, a percentage of the capital cost for growing infrastructure is passed onto a developer or home builder through a Development Cost Charge (DCC) (or Development Cost Levies (DCL)). This cost is determined by estimating the extent of new urban growth, and dividing the cost of services between existing and new users. A unit cost is then determined and this fee is collected by the local authority to fund upgrades and expansion of infrastructure.
DCC’s are generally determined on a case-by-case basis through negotiation between the city and developers, often resulting in lengthy delays and significant costs to the developer.
Bill 46 introduces Amenity Cost Charges (ACC) as a new financing tool. Unlike DCC’s, ACC’s will be regulated through bylaws, subject to public consultation and will be determined based on project location, land use and density, as well as other quantifiable attributes.
Accordingly, ACC’s are determined upfront during the planning process, providing a more transparent and efficient means of determining development costs associated with a project from the start.
Bill 47, or Housing Statutes (Transit Orientated Areas) Amendment Act 2023, deals with the zoning requirements surrounding transit oriented development areas (TOA’s), including rapid transit stations and major bus exchanges:
Local governments will be required to designate land within 800m of a rapid transit station, or within 400m of a major bus exchange, as a transit oriented development area (TOA).
Areas within the TOA will be permitted to meet specific height and density zoning allowances, with heights of up to 20 storeys within 200m of a rapid TOA (FAR of 5.0), up to 12 storeys between 200m and 400m (FAR of 4.0), and up to 8 storeys between 400m and 800m (FAR of 3.0).
Similarly, areas within 200m of a major bus exchange may be up to 12 storeys in heights (FAR of 4.0), and up to 8 storeys between 200m and 400m (FAR of 3.0).
The bill also removes minimum residential parking requirements, allowing developers to balance market desire for parking with increased FAR for development. Specific parking requirements for accessible parking, EV charging stations, as well as commercial parking, will remain in effect.
Overall, the intention and desired outcome of each bill is a necessary step forward to streamlining the development and housing construction process. While these planning principles are great on paper, the desired outcome largely depends on the ability of local authorities to implement and deliver.
One key aspect that is not necessarily addressed in the bills is that increased density requires significant investment in not only infrastructure and services, but equally in community facilities, schools, commercial and retail opportunities, healthcare facilities, amenities, parks and recreation spaces that are needed to create a lively, rich and sustainable environment for the local community.
From our perspective, guidelines and zoning regulations are only as effective as the OCP and urban framework onto which they are implemented. We encourage all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with these new regulations and work collaboratively to ensure successful implementation and a brighter future for BC’s housing landscape.
