New Westminster, B.C. – The City of New Westminster received $11,428,628 in funding from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund to advance initiatives that will increase the variety and availability of New Westminster’s housing supply. This funding will allow the City to facilitate over 2,300 new units by 2027 through the implementation of several initiatives outlined in a new action plan.

“The City of New Westminster is committed to ensuring we have available housing to meet the diverse needs of our community. That means filling the gaps in the housing supply as quickly as possible, and ensuring our processes and policies are updated to facilitate that goal. We thank the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation for their recognition of our efforts and providing this significant contribution to help us meet our strategic priority outcomes,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation launched the Housing Accelerator Fund in April 2023 with the aim to expedite construction of 100,000 new housing units nationwide by providing funding to local governments. The fund promotes the creation of walkable communities with diverse amenities accessible via public and active transportation, affordable and inclusive neighborhoods that promote socio-economic inclusion, and the development of environmentally sustainable communities with low carbon footprints and resilience to climate change.

“Through innovation and collaboration with local governments, we can build the housing we need in our cities and create inclusive and diverse communities. Teaming up with New Westminster through the Housing Accelerator Fund exemplifies this approach. Partnership is the new leadership, and we will continue to work to make life affordable and build strong communities in British Columbia and across Canada,” said Terry Beech, Minister of Citizens’ Service, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

The new Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan outlines seven key initiatives to be completed over the next three years:

1. Development Approval Process Acceleration: Redesign the development application process to improve efficiency and shorten review timelines. The initiative is underway.
2. 22nd Street Station Area Bold Vision: Develop a climate-friendly vision that will guide future higher density development. This initiative is underway.
3. Infill Housing Acceleration: Proactively rezone single detached dwelling properties to permit up to six residential units, in alignment with provincial housing legislation.
4. Townhouse Acceleration: Proactively rezone land to make it easier to construct new infill townhouses. Investigate allowing larger units and lock-off units.
5. Affordable Housing Acceleration: Amend the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw to allow affordable housing as-of-right in residential zones for non-profit organizations.
6. Inclusionary Housing Acceleration: Update the inclusionary housing policy to enable the creation of affordable rental units.
7. Family Friendly Housing Acceleration: Amend the Family Friendly Housing Policy to increase the required minimum of family-friendly units mandated for new projects.

In addition to the Action Plan, the Housing Accelerator Fund grant will also be used to invest in improving and expanding infrastructure necessary to support housing growth. Combined, these actions will facilitate over 2,000 new multi-family housing units, mostly near SkyTrain stations, and close to 200 infill housing units by January 2027. Nine percent of these new homes are projected to be affordable units.

“The substantial Housing Accelerator Fund grant will be instrumental in advancing our housing initiatives. This collaboration between the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the City of New Westminster illustrates our joint dedication to establishing sustainable and inclusive housing solutions for all current and future residents of the community,” said Jackie Teed, Director of Planning and Development.

The City of New Westminster has been a municipal leader in housing policy, having facilitated the most purpose-built-rental units in the past five years of any municipality in the Lower Mainland, and increasing its housing supply at a region-leading rate. It is one of the few municipalities to exceed Metro2040’s 2021 housing unit targets.

Learn more about the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan here: newwestcity.ca/housing/housing-accelerator-fund

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Media Contact:

Lynn Roxburgh
Manager of Housing and Land Use
City of New Westminster
604-515-3805 |