Planners

Key insights:

Deep in the heart of the Central Interior-Fraser Canyon region, Xaxli’p, an integral part of the St’at’imc Interior Salish Nation, embraces its ancestral land along the Fraser Canyon and southern Coast Mountains. Rooted in the profound connection between the people and their territory, Xaxli’p embarked on a transformative journey in 2019 with the development of a Land Use Plan.

As this Small Housing Stories of Practice report outlines, the community recognized the increasingly pressing housing shortage, and responded by launching the Rapid Housing Initiative in 2021. In February 2022, the completion of a family-based fiveplex marked a significant milestone, providing safe, affordable, and culturally connected housing for Xaxli’pmec families in need.

As Xaxli’p First Nation looks to the future, two additional multiplexes are poised to further enhance the community’s capacity to thrive in harmony with their ancestral land.

Key insights:

Nuutsumuut Lelum is located on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, BC.

The Island Urban Indigenous Wellness Society (formerly Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre) is a not-for-profit organization with a focus on early childhood development, prevention, collaboration, and Culture. They acknowledge the critical importance of supporting Indigenous communities with healthy development in the early years.

Led by the Island Urban Indigenous Wellness Society, Nuutsumuut Lelum is a 25-unit affordable housing project emerged from a two-year collaboration with government agencies and community organizations.

As this Small Housing Stories of Practice report outlines, beyond providing safe and culturally appropriate housing for Urban Indigenous Youth, Elders, and families, Nuutsumuut Lelum embodies a commitment to environmental, social, and cultural sustainability. Built to the rigorous Passive House standard, it harmonizes energy efficiency with Indigenous values, creating dignified homes where community members thrive.

Explore the transformative journey from concept to reality as Nuutsumuut Lelum continues to foster unity and celebration since its inauguration in June 2018.

Key insights:

LíÌwat Nation’s vision for a strong and united community is embodied in their Housing Plan (2018-2033). Focused on preserving rights, language, culture, and traditions, the plan aims to provide safe, secure, and affordable housing. Identifying a need for 170 new units by 2033, the Nation has consistently built 10 to 12 houses annually, prioritizing multiplexes like duplexes and rowhouses.

As this Small Housing Stories of Practice report documents, beyond construction, LíÌwat Nation actively supports citizens in accessing financing for home renovations and purchases, fostering a thriving community where residents can fish, hunt, gather, create, grow, work, and live together harmoniously.

Explore the narrative of this impactful housing initiative, from its inception to tangible outcomes and future aspirations.

This Metro Vancouver study investigates the cost of providing infrastructure and services to neighbourhoods with varying residential densities, with the goal of informing municipal planning and regional growth policies for Metro Vancouver.

Key insights:

• The study emphasizes a complex relationship between residential densities and infrastructure costs influenced by factors like infrastructure age, existing capacity, and the physical landscape of the serviced area.
• Evidence presented suggests that infrastructure and servicing costs per capita and per unit are significantly higher for houses compared to apartment developments.
• Increasing density is identified as a potential contributor to lowering housing development and municipal operating costs over time.
• The study includes a literature review on municipal infrastructure and associated costs.
• Cost calculations are provided for various factors, including development cost charges, municipal operating costs, property taxes/utility fees, and infrastructure servicing, categorized by housing type.

In the fall of 2023, the Province of British Columbia introduced changes to the Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter (VC) to allow more small-scale, multi-unit housing in land use zones that are otherwise restricted to single-family dwellings or duplexes.

This policy manual aims to support local governments in amending their local zoning bylaws and associated legislation to allow for small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) in traditionally single-family zoned areas as per recent requirements mandated by the Province of BC.

Key insights:

The manual provides:

• An overview of the new SSMUH legislative requirements and implementation timelines for municipalities to come into compliance
• Best practices for updating zoning bylaws, guidance on related policies that may need to be updated (including housing tenure options, estimating potential increases in density, and planning for increased demand on municipal infrastructure and services)
• Sample site standards that local governments can use to update their zoning bylaws to allow for financially viable ADU and 3-6 unit housing developments.

This research paper examines Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) from an affordability lens, addressing both affordability for renters and whether or not DADUs are affordable to build.

Cities across North America are facing unprecedented challenges related to housing affordability, climate resilience and economic sustainability. In many cities, infill housing policies are being adopted in response to these issues. This research focuses on one particular type of infill housing – Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs). DADUs, also known as laneway homes, garden suites, or carriage houses, are independent rental units typically built in the backyards of single-detached homes.

Key insights:

• DADUs offer opportunities for downsizing, age in community, multigenerational living, additional rental income, and adaptable housing across the lifespan, often considered as a form of affordable housing.
• A policy comparison across nine municipalities in Canada and the United States identifies DADU best practices and common characteristics among municipalities with high DADU uptake.
• A secondary analysis of Edmonton’s DADU permitting data explores the spatial distribution of DADUs concerning affordability.
• A survey of DADU owners and prospective builders in Edmonton uncovers barriers to development, excluding tenants from the survey.
• Policy recommendations from the comparison include reducing regulations for flexibility in DADU size, height, and orientation. This involves eliminating parking minimums, owner occupancy requirements, location restrictions, and contextual regulations tying DADU dimensions to the primary dwelling. Such measures aim to foster a successful DADU market.

Research paper authored by Ashley Salvador, University of Waterloo (November 11, 2020).

This report aims to rapidly develop and scale solutions to address some of the main land use policy, project financing and design challenges faced in delivering affordable missing middle housing.

Key recommendations:

• Reforming zoning bylaws to allow as-of-right development of Missing Middle housing,
• Reforming current public consultation processes
• Creating incentive programs and seed funding (via CMHC) for the development of missing middle housing
• Establishing missing-middle specific building standards and development fees
• Creating a set of missing middle typologies that can over time allow for replicable approval, design, finance, and construction phases.

A pilot project has been identified in Little Jamaica (Toronto) to test out the proposed affordability framework and housing financial models advanced in this report.

Additionally, a National Scalability roadmap has been created to continue to progress the work of the Missing Middle Lab, through maintaining partnerships, bolstering municipal support, and developing design catalogues and financial incentives.

This report was authored by CMHC & Keesmaat Group.

This CMHC study investigates residential projects that have overcome barriers to infill development, including development cost, public opposition, and regulatory processes.

Key insights:

For each project detailed in the report, the following resources are provided:

• Technical specifications
• Successes and obstacles faced from developer, resident, and municipal planner perspectives
• Lessons learned are shared for consideration for future projects.

Selected infill projects span a variety of regional and municipal contexts across Canada, and are reflective of different scales of development, ranging from 16 condo units to 1,600 unit apartment complex developments.

Case studies include:

• Angus, Montréal, Quebec
• Bishop’s Landing, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Co-opérative d’habitation du Couvent de Saint-Henri, Montréal, Quebec
• Convoy Quay Gardens, Bedford, Nova Scotia
• Cranberry Commons, Burnaby, British Columbia
• Fifth Street Lofts, Edmonton, Alberta
• Garrison Woods, Calgary, Alberta
• Gower Gardens, Gibsons, British Columbia
• Harmony, Toronto, Ontario
• Koo’s Corner, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Les Lofts du Pont, Montréal, Quebec
• Les Lofts Laliberté, Québec, Quebec
• London Lane, Guelph, Ontario
• Parkside Mews, Ottawa, Ontario
• Portland Park Village, Toronto, Ontario
• Salsbury Heights, Vancouver, British Columbia
• Seagram Lofts, Waterloo, Ontario
• Sterling Place, London, Ontario
• The Carlings at Arbutus Walk, Vancouver, British Columbia
• The Prince Edward, Moncton, New Brunswick
• The Renaissance at North Hill, Calgary, Alberta
• Waterford Suites, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Western Elevator Lofts, Winnipeg, Manitoba