Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative
Project Summary
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 (below and non-market) housing, the rezoning process can be time consuming and often put project funding from senior government at risk.
To address these challenges, and enable the delivery of more affordable rental housing projects, the City exploring changes to the Zoning Bylaw and the Official Community Plan. The purpose of these changes is to reduce some regulatory barriers, streamline approval processes, and unlock more opportunities for affordable rental housing projects that are entirely owned and operated by non-profit housing providers and non-profit housing co-ops.
Learn more about how we're encouraging new housing! The video below introduce New Westminster's Affordable Housing Accelerator Initiative.
Click here to find more information on the city’s current affordable rental housing needs and what has been done in the past to enable the delivery of affordable housing there.
The intended outcome of this work 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).
Phase 1: Zoning Bylaw Amendments [Complete]
Phase 1 of the Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative amended the Zoning Bylaw to allow affordable rental housing projects to forego rezoning if they meet set criteria. These amendments also set out regulations the project must comply with, including: building regulations (e.g. how big or tall it is allowed to be), site access requirements, and parking and loading requirements.
Now that these changes have been adopted by Council, affordable rental housing projects can forego rezoning if they meet all of the following criteria:
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The project is no more than six storeys;
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The property is owned and operated by a registered non-profit housing provider, or registered housing co-operative;
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The units will be rental only;
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The project’s long term affordability and rental only tenure are secured via a legal agreement; and,
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The property is currently designated “Residential – Multiple-Unit Buildings (RM)” in the City’s Official Community Plan.
If the above criteria are met, a rezoning application would not be required. Projects would still be subject to other City approvals, including a Development Permit, Works and Services Agreement, and Building Permit.
Phase 2: Official Community Plan Amendments [Underway]
Phase 2 of the Initiative is exploring amending the Official Community Plan (OCP) and Zoning Bylaw allowing non-profit affordable rental housing of up to six storeys to be built on properties designated to permit a townhouse. This would be conditional on the property being owned and operated by the registered provider, and on the project’s long term affordability and rental tenure being secured through a legal agreement.
At their December 15, 2025 meeting, Council gave first and second reading to the proposed OCP Amendment Bylaw to implement this change. You can access the report here, which outlines the proposed approach to implementing this phase of the Affordable Housing Accelerator program.
Phase 2 is also exploring pre-zoning residential properties within Tiers 2 and 3 of New Westminster's Transit Oriented Development Areas to permit these projects, under the same conditions as established in Phase 1. This would allow projects in areas already envisioned for higher density to forego rezoning if they met updated eligibility and zoning regulations. Click here to view a map of proposed sites in Transit Oriented Development Areas to be pre-zoned.
At their December 15, 2025 meeting, Council gave first and second reading to the proposed Zoning Amendment Bylaw to implement this change. You can access the report here.
How Do I Participate?
Two Public Hearings for the City’s Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendments have been scheduled for January 26, at 6:00 pm. These Public Hearings are the final step in the process required to implement Transit Oriented Development Areas, the Townhouse Program, and the Non-Profit Affordable Housing initiative. These updates will refine the City’s land use framework, ensuring housing needs identified throughout the city can be met – today and for the future.
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PUBLIC HEARING |
BYLAWS |
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Transit Oriented Development Areas, Non-Profit Affordable Housing, and Administrative Amendments |
Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 7925, 2017 Amendment Bylaw No. 8522, 2025
Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 8528:
Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 8530:
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Townhouse Development and Non-Profit Affordable Housing |
Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 7925, 2017 Amendment Bylaw No. 8547, 2025
Zoning Bylaw No. 6680, 2001, Amendment Bylaw No. 8524, 2025
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Anyone who considers themselves affected by the proposed bylaws is provided an opportunity to make representations to Council. All comments will form part of the public record and be published on the City’s website.
Submit Written Comments
Written comments may be submitted prior to the Public Hearing(s) as follows:
By Mail:
Legislative Services
New Westminster City Hall
511 Royal Avenue
New Westminster, BC V3L 1H9
All submissions will form part of the public record of the Public Hearing(s) and be published on the City’s website. Once the Public Hearing has concluded, no further information or submissions may be considered by Council.
Speak at the Public Hearings
Monday, January 26, 2026
6:00 p.m.
Council Chamber & Zoom
2nd Floor, City Hall
511 Royal Avenue
New Westminster, BC
You can attend the Public Hearings in person to share your views, or register in advance to speak virtually. Advance registration is recommended, but not required, for in-person speakers.
Advance registration to speak in person or virtually will open on Friday, January 16, 2026. Register by no later than 12:00 p.m. on January 26, 2026 to speak virtually by computer, smart device or phone. Once registered, you will be provided details needed to participate virtually.
To Register Online:
Visit speakers.newwestcity.ca
To Register by Phone:
Call Legislative Services at 604-527-4523
A Speakers List will be available on January 26, 2026 starting at 4:30 p.m. outside Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, City Hall.
How do I Get More Information?
Copies of the proposed bylaws, along with other related material are available for inspection at:
Legislative Services
2nd Floor, City Hall
511 Royal Avenue
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.(except statutory holidays)
Online:
newwestcity.ca/publicnotices
If you require assistance, contact Legislative Services at 604-527-4523.
The changes proposed were directed by Council’s Strategic Priorities Plan, with some programs required by provincial legislation or connected to our participation in a funding program. Staff have engaged with residents to understand how these changes might best reflect the community’s values and our city’s physical context. People’s suggestions, feedback, and comments have been analyzed and combined with legal and technical requirements to create the proposed bylaw changes.
Click here for a two page “snapshot” of what we heard from you! To see the full Engagement Summary Report which includes demographics and a breakdown of each question asked click here. Visit the Our City, Our Homes Be Heard page to learn more about past community engagement related to this project including event materials.
What is the Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative – Pre-zoning for Non-Profit Housing?
In response to the housing crisis, the City of New Westminster has launched the Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative – Pre-zoning for Non-Profit Housing. This initiative aims to speed up the delivery of non-profit housing projects, by reducing regulatory barriers to delivering these housing projects.
Through this initiative, the City will amend the Zoning Bylaw to permit non-profit housing projects up to six (6) storeys on select sites across New Westminster. Sites that meet certain criteria will be pre-zoned for non-profit rental housing.
If the criteria are met and a site can be pre-zoned, a rezoning application would not be required, allowing projects to move forward faster through the approvals process when funding commitments are made.
What do you mean by affordable 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.
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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.
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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.
What is the City’s role in providing affordable housing?
The City of New Westminster plays a lead role in facilitating a supply of housing for current and future residents, through land use planning and development approvals.
Since the 1970s, the City has and continues to act within its jurisdiction and financial capacity to help address housing affordability. In recent years, several policies and regulations that aim to expand and protect dedicated rental housing have been introduced, such as the Secure Market Rental Policy and regulations to deter renovictions.
New Westminster was also the first municipality in BC to require a minimum percentage of three-bedroom units in new multi-family developments, through the Family Friendly Housing Policy.
The City has also provided City-owned sites to non-profit agencies at favourable terms for new non-market housing projects, including a modular housing project for women.
How much affordable housing is currently available in New Westminster?
As of June 2024, there are 66 affordable housing complexes across the City of New Westminster, containing a total of 2,240 units. Of these complexes, 58 are owned and/or operated by non-profit housing providers. The remaining eight (8) affordable housing complexes are owned and/or operated by housing cooperatives.
Different housing complexes can house different groups of residents, including families with children, seniors, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Current affordable housing complexes are spread throughout New Westminster, with Glenbrooke North (40% of units), Glenbrooke South (16% of units), Brow of the Hill (14% of units) and Downtown (13% of units) having the most units.
How much more affordable housing do we need?
There are not enough affordable housing units in New Westminster to meet demand. The City’s Interim Housing Needs Report identified a need for 2,311 new affordable rental units to be constructed from 2024 to 2029 to meet community needs.
In 2021, 32% of renter households in New Westminster paid more than 30% of their income towards housing, meaning these renters do not have affordable housing. Data from BC Housing and Metro Vancouver also reveal that the number of households in New Westminster waiting for social housing increased from 564 to 952 from 2018 to 2024.
With only 268 new below or non-market units under construction at the end of 2023 and an average of 11 below or non-market units per year under construction between 2021 to 2019, there is a critical and growing lack of below and non-market housing in New Westminster.
What changes will I see?
The changes to the Zoning Bylaw are big picture changes, the bylaw applies to the entire City of New Westminster. This does not mean wide scale change will be immediately achieved, or the entire City will be turned into non-profit rental housing.
The goal of the Initiative is to reduce the barriers to non-profit housing projects. Pre-zoning sites and removing the need for rezoning applications will allow projects to move forward faster when funding commitments are made. This means, over time, we can expect to see more non-profit rental housing complexes created across the city.
Non-profit housing projects are often 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 (including two (2) in 2024 so far) have been completed across the city, creating 274 affordable housing units.
The higher density envisioned in the Official Community Plan is focused in certain areas, meaning we can expect to see more new housing projects within these areas. This includes Transit Oriented Areas (described further below).
Does this initiative address supportive housing?
Supportive housing is not the focus of this initiative. The focus of the initiative is to support the delivery of affordable rental housing, which consists of non-market and below-market rental housing. For clarity, please refer to the Housing Spectrum diagram below.
What is the revenue stream? Figuring out rents before the development starts would be beneficial.
Most affordable housing projects will be funded through partnerships with senior government agencies, including BC Housing and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which usually have set affordability requirements as part of funding programs (which determine rents).
The City recognizes that determining the appropriate rent levels at the beginning of the development stage would be beneficial to provide clarity to the developer/housing provider and future tenants.
Removing the need for rezoning applications reduces some cost concerns for developers/housing providers, and provides additional clarity at the beginning of the site development process.
What possibilities are there for developments that have heritage churches?
Redevelopment projects on lands with existing places of worship are possible where the Development Permit Area guidelines can be met, and appropriate amenities are provided. This would be determined on a site-by-site basis.
If a place of worship has a heritage designation, there would be additional requirements (like a Heritage Revitalization Agreement) intended to protect the heritage status of the building. This would be determined on a site-by-site basis.
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