Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative

The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative was developed in response to Council’s 2023-2026 Strategic Priorities Plan, with some program elements influenced by provincial legislation.

Funded by Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), Council directed City staff to proceed with a two-phase work plan for the initiative in June 2024. 

Phase 1 (June 2024 – February 2025)

This phase amended the City’s Zoning Bylaw to pre-zone properties, allowing eligible affordable rental housing projects of up to six storeys to skip rezoning.

Bylaw changes were developed through a combination of background research and analysis, interviews with non-profit housing providers, engagement with community members via Be Heard New West and an online information session, and discussions with various City departments.

Phase 2 (February 2025 – February 2026)

As part of City’s OCP update, this phase amended the OCP to allow eligible non-profit affordable rental housing, up to six storeys, to be built on sites designed in the OCP for “Residential – Townhouse”. A site-specific rezoning application is required. Additional Zoning Bylaw amendments were made to expand pre-zoning for eligible affordable rental housing projects, up to six storeys, into the City’s Transit Oriented Development Areas.

Through Be Heard New West and in-person and virtual open houses, staff engaged with residents and interest groups to understand how these changes might best reflect the community’s values and our city’s physical context. Suggestions, feedback, and comments were analyzed and combined with legal and technical requirements to create the OCP and Zoning Bylaw amendments.

Why was this initiative developed?

The intended outcome of this initiative is to allow for diverse housing options, specifically affordable housing. This aligns with City Council’s 2023-2026 Strategic Priorities Plan focus area “Homes and Housing Options”. To achieve this outcome, the City initiated the Affordable Housing Accelerator Initiative, with funding from the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation (CMHC) through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

Most properties in New Westminster must be rezoned in order to achieve the land use and density outlined in the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP). For non-profit housing providers trying to deliver affordable rental housing, the rezoning process can be time consuming and often put project funding from senior government at risk. The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative was created to reduce regulatory barriers, streamline approval processes, and unlock more opportunities for these projects that are entirely owned and operated by registered non-profit housing providers and non-profit housing co-ops.

What do you mean by affordable rental housing? 

The City of New Westminster’s Housing Needs Report defines affordable housing as housing that costs up to 30% of the household’s before-tax income. Generally, if the yearly rent costs more than 30% of the household's before-tax income, it is not considered affordable.

The Housing Needs Report also defines two common types of affordable rental housing: below-market housing, and non-market housing.

• Below-market housing is intended to be affordable for households earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year. Below market rent is set at 10% below the rental market median rent for New Westminster, as reported by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

• Non-market housing is owned or subsidized by government, a non-profit society, or a housing cooperative. This housing is intended to be affordable for very low-income households, earning less than $30,000 per year. Non-market housing includes social and supportive housing.

The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative focuses on specific affordable housing development: rental housing owned and/or operated by non-profit housing providers.

How much affordable rental housing is needed in New Westminster? 

The City’s Housing Needs Report identified a need for 2,311 new affordable rental units to be constructed from 2024 to 2029 to meet community needs. 

What types of affordable rental housing projects would be eligible under this initiative?

The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative focuses on enabling the delivery of affordable rental housing, owned and operated by registered non-profit housing providers, or by registered non-profit housing co-ops. Projects eligible under this initiative are:

• Wholly owned and operated by a registered non-profit housing provider or registered non-profit housing co-op.

• Predominantly made up of affordable, non-market and below-market rental housing, but may include a small component of near market housing.

• This housing type is typically financially supported by senior levels of government (through capital investments, financing, and operating subsidies).

• Designed to work with BC Housing funded housing programs such as the Community Housing Fund.

• Not designed to work with other housing programs, which are predominantly market units with only a smaller proportion of affordable units. 

What possibilities are there for the redevelopments of a site with a place of worship? 

Redevelopment projects on lands with existing places of worship may be possible where the eligibility criteria can be met. This would be determined on a site-by-site basis. A redeveloped site could potentially include a place of worship: zoning regulations specify that a place of worship is a permitted use, when accessory to a non-profit housing development and when the conditions of use outlined in the Zoning Bylaw are met.

What Changes Will I See?

The changes to the Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan are big picture changes, as they apply to the entire city. This does not mean there will be immediate or wide scale change.

Non-profit affordable rental housing projects are reliant on government funding, which is limited and often comes with strict timelines. These projects are therefore relatively rare. For example, over the last 10 years, a total of five (5) affordable housing projects have been completed across the city, creating 274 affordable housing units.

The goal of the initiative is to reduce the barriers to non-profit affordable rental housing projects. Pre-zoning sites and removing the need for rezoning will allow these projects to move forward faster when senior government funding is received. This means, over time, we can expect to see more non-profit affordable rental housing across the city.