All but 26 B.C. communities have met the provincial deadline to pass bylaws allowing single-residence properties to be rezoned into multi-unit ones.
Local governments were required to make the changes by June 30, which are intended to increasing housing amid a crisis-level shortage.
As of July 23, the Ministry of Housing says 162 local governments have passed compliant bylaws and another nine are actively working toward doing so. Fifteen others have requested a formal extension on the new legislation.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said Thursday (July 25) that they have granted those extensions for three communities: The Northern Rockies Regional District and District of Wells because of the impacts of wildfires and evacuation orders, and Greenwood because of infrastructure upgrades that are underway.
Two other communities – the Township of Langley and Mount Waddington Regional District – had their requests rejected and were issued letters giving them 90 days to pass required bylaws.
Just one community refused to take any action on the requirement. At the end of May, West Vancouver council voted to reject the provincial housing rules.
Kahlon said he issued them a letter Thursday morning giving them a 30-day deadline to make the zoning rule changes. If they don't, Kahlon said the province will be stepping in and making the changes for them.
"We will have our teams develop bylaws and we will put them through order and council so that we can see this critical infrastructure and housing be built."
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The required zoning changes make it so properties that previously only allowed single dwellings can instead support small-scale, multi-unit residences. Municipalities must now allow a minimum of four-plexes up to three stories tall in most areas, and six-plexes in areas near busy transit stops.
B.C. says an analysis it had conducted suggests the changes could result in 216,000 to 293,00 additional net-new housing units over the next decade.
