Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative
Project Summary
To meet community needs, the City is committed to supporting non-profit housing providers and non-profit housing co-ops deliver more affordable (below and non-market) rental housing through the Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative. The initiative streamlines the approval process for new affordable rental buildings.
Learn more about how we are encouraging new housing! The video below introduces New Westminster's Affordable Housing Accelerator Initiative.
How it Works
Affordable rental housing projects can skip rezoning if they:
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Comply with the City’s definition of Non-Profit Housing Development,
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Meet the project eligibility criteria outlined below,
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Propose a minimum 70% of units at Below Market rents, and
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Comply with zoning requirements for Non-Profit Housing Development in the Zoning Bylaw (see section 190.54 in the Introduction section of the Bylaw).
Projects would still be subject to other City approvals, including a Development Permit, Works and Services Agreement, and Building Permit.
This program is designed for projects are typically financially supported by senior levels of government through capital investments, financing, and operating subsidies. For example, projects designed to work with BC Housing funded housing programs (e.g. Community Housing Fund) would be eligible.
Project Criteria
In order for projects to be eligible to skip rezoning, they must meet all of the following project criteria:
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Owned and operated by a registered non-profit housing provider or registered non-profit housing co-op. Please refer to the City’s definition of Non-Profit Housing Development in the Zoning Bylaw,
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No more than six storeys,
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Rental only,
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Secured as affordable housing via a legal agreement, and,
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On a property designated “Residential – Low Rise (RLR)”, “Residential – Limited Mid Rise (RLM)”, or “Residential – Mid Rise (RMR)” in the Official Community Plan
Affordable Housing Definition
For this program, a minimum of 70% of the units must at a minimum be rented at below market rents:
Below Market housing rents will not be more than 10% below average rents, all years, for the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area per unit (bedroom) type, as published with the latest summary from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Projects with near market rent rates that are between market rent and 9.99% below CMHC average rents do not qualify.
Zoning Requirements
Eligible affordable rental housing projects must also comply with all requirements set out for Non-Profit Housing Development in the Zoning Bylaw (see section 190.54 in the Introduction section of the Bylaw).
Zoning requirements include the size and height of the building, and number of parking spaces required. Projects are also required to take site access from a lane or local road, and may not create adjacent orphaned lot(s) that are not large enough to redevelop on their own.
Non-Profit Affordable Rental Housing on Townhouse Designated Properties
Applications for affordable rental housing projects of up to six storeys, that are owned and operated by a registered non-profit housing provider or housing co-op, will also be considered on properties designated “Residential – Townhouse (RT)” in the City’s Official Community Plan (OCP).
While a rezoning application is still required, these projects can skip the OCP amendment process if they meet all of the project criteria listed above.
Interested in submitting an affordable rental housing application under this initiative?
We can help you understand if your project is eligible! Click here for a map of eligible properties under this initiative and review the Frequently Asked Questions below.
Get in touch with the City’s Housing and Land Use Planning team at:
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 uses the following Council-approved definitions for housing affordability:
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Below-market housing is a type of housing with rents that will not be more than 10% below average rents, all years, for the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area per unit (bedroom) type, as published with the latest summary from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
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Non-market housing is a type of housing with rents at the deepest subsidies, such as “rent portion of assistance”, or similar. Non-market housing is usually 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, and includes social and supportive housing.
The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative focuses on specific affordable rental housing that is owned and operated by non-profit housing providers, and could include below-market and non-market units.
Near market housing projects would not be eligible for this initiative. Near market housing is a type of housing with rents that are anywhere between market rent and 9.99% below average rents, all years, for the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area per unit (bedroom) type, as published within the latest summary from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
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.
Does this initiative address supportive housing?
The Affordable Housing Acceleration Initiative focuses on enabling the delivery of affordable (below and non-market) rental housing owned and operated by registered non-profit housing providers or registered non-profit housing co-ops. Supportive housing is not the focus of this initiative.
This initiative builds on the City’s existing City-Wide Crises Response Bylaw Amendments, which allows eligible projects that respond to the affordable housing and homelessness crisis to skip the rezoning and OCP amendment processes if they are situated on sites owned by the City or other government agency. Of the projects that have been delivered through these city-wide amendments, the majority have been shelters and supportive/ transitional housing projects.
Because the City-Wide Crises Response Bylaw Amendments facilitate the delivery of shelters and supportive/ transitional housing, the focus of the Affordable Housing Acceleration initiative is on the remaining type of affordable housing that is needed in the community: affordable (below and non-market) rental housing.
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. A redeveloped site could potentially include a place of worship. Zoning regulations allow a place of worship, when accessory to a non-profit housing development and when zoning regulations are met.
What Changes Will I See?
The changes to the Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan are big picture changes, as they apply across the 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 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.
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