Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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.

• 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.

• 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).

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.