Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where can infill housing be built in the city?

Infill housing can be built throughout the Mainland, with approximately 1,900 properties pre-zoned to allow up to four units and approximately 1,100 properties for up to six units. Pre-zoning would mean that no rezoning application would be required to build infill housing, streamlining the approvals process.

Click here to see a map and list of the properties proposed for pre-zoning zoned to allow Infill Housing, either RGO-A (up to four units) or RGO-B (up to six units).

Are infill housing units able to stack on top of each other?

A maximum of two infill housing units are able to stack on top of each other. This helps ensure that units are ground oriented, with high quality shared and individual outdoor spaces.

Will Infill Housing Units Be Able To Be Stratified?

Different tenures (i.e. rental housing, ownership or a combination) and ownership models (i.e. strata, co-op) are allowed. A rezoning application is required to develop a freehold model, where each unit is on a separate property.

What happens now that the program is implemented?

The City will monitor the program outcomes, and may identify program refinements in alignment with program goals.

What is the impact on my property value and taxes? 

Property taxes are calculated based on the assessed value of a property, which is set annually by BC Assessment, the provincial agency responsible for determining assessed property values, using market conditions and property characteristics. Tax rates are set every year by City Council.

Visit the City's Property Taxes and Utilities webpage for current tax rates and payment information.

If you feel the assessed value for your property is inaccurate, you can submit an appeal to BC Assessment. Click here for more information on assessment appeals.

What kind of uptake is expected for this program?

Redevelopment depends on many factors outside of the City’s control, including individual owners’ choices, financing interest rates, and construction costs.

The City has made housing projections to try to anticipate the likely housing uptake for the next 25 years. Below are those estimates for the Mainland (excluding the Downtown and Queensborough areas):

• attached units (e.g. duplex, multiplex, townhouse): about 36-46 units per year, and

• single detached units (including laneway and carriage houses): about 4-5 units per year.

These projections are similar to trends from 2014-2023 for the same area, however, in the future we expect to see more attached units and fewer detached units:

• attached units (e.g. duplex, multiplex, townhouse): average 10 units per year, and

• single detached units (including laneway and carriage houses): average 41 units per year (including about 10 laneway or carriage houses).

The new infill housing zones allow people to construct a single detached dwelling, secondary suite, and laneway house (if eligible). Owners could apply to build an infill housing project, or they could choose to stay in their homes, renovate or rebuild their home.

How does the program fit the New Westminster context?

The new infill housing zones respond to provincial requirements, and have been tailored to the New Westminster context, including:

• Parking – for sites where the City can require vehicle parking, the required number of spaces reflects the City’s information on local vehicle ownership, for people living in similar kinds of housing,

• Density – using maximum floor space ratios (FSR), instead of the Provincial recommendation to guide density through building setbacks and height, encouraging spaces like shared bike parking or amenity rooms through FSR exclusions,

• Side setbacks – smaller side setbacks compared to single detached and duplex zones, though larger than Provincial recommendations, to enable new housing that fits well within city neighbourhoods,

• Rear upper setbacks – requiring new buildings at the lane edge of a site to be stepped back at the third storey, not part of Provincial recommendations, to minimize building bulk at the rear of properties,

• Design Guidelines - to encourage building and site design with best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting water and energy conservation.

What are the implications to heritage protection? 

Existing heritage designations and heritage revitalization agreements (HRAs) remain in place across the city, and are not overridden by Provincial legislation.

Individual owners of heritage assets can still consider a new HRA and/or heritage designation. There may be fewer applications due to the reduced ability to offer incentives, such as greater density or reduced parking, following the Provincial legislation and new Infill Housing program. New heritage designations and HRAs cannot limit density below Provincial requirements, including within the Queen’s Park Heritage Conservation Area (QPHCA).

Applications for renovation or construction in QPHCA still require a heritage alteration permit (HAP) showing compliance with the Heritage Conservation Area guidelines. Applications to demolish unprotected buildings still need to show that the density allowable on the property is not possible without demolishing the buildings.

How will the City address the demand for more on-street parking?

Infill housing may increase demand for on-street parking because:

• Households in the city with similar housing types, such as duplexes, often own more than one vehicle; and  

• Provincial legislation limits a municipality’s ability to require parking near frequent bus service.

The City’s parking minimums try to balance parking needs with other priorities, such as trees, open space, solid waste, and electrical infrastructure. Outside  frequent bus service areas, all infill housing applications must include at least one on-site parking space for each principal unit. Secondary suites must also provide parking, but at a lower rate. These requirements are the same as those for duplexes and townhouses.

The City is also working on a curbside management strategy to help manage on-street parking demand. This work will guide decisions about curb regulations and residential permit parking. The approach will be guided by a set of principles supported by Council in September 2025, and by the City’s Master Transportation Plan curbside hierarchy, which prioritizes active transportation like walking and bicycling.

What does this mean for schools? 

The infill housing program could result in more family-sized homes being built, which may bring more school-aged children to the community and increase demand for schools.

The School District is planning for this growth as part of its upcoming Long Range Facilities Plan. The School District and City are working together to advocate to the Province for more resources for schools.

To help make it easier to build new schools, the City updated its Official Community Plan to allow schools in most residential and some mixed-use areas across the city.

The School District is also exploring new ways to provide schools in the urban context of New Westminster, including opportunities to integrate  schools into residential or mixed-use development projects.