This paper recounts early-stage research conducted by the City of Vancouver on a variety of small-scale housing types.
Key insights:
The report outlines how a variety housing types, be they sixplexes, cottages, rowhouses, small lot infill or others, can work to advance the goals of creating ground-oriented, affordable, neighbourhood scale development.
An information sheet is provided for each housing form with a mock-up to display how new development can take shape on single or two-three lot consolidations in existing residential neighbourhoods.
Other areas explored include:
Technical feasibility
Marketability
Ownership options
Report prepared by Patricia St.Michel – City Plans, Planning Department, Community Services Group, City of Vancouver
This report from BC Housing explores the tiny home typology and explores ways to regulate and legalize this built form within the context of BC.
The report provides sample cost estimates for building tiny homes, highlights opportunities (including build time and environmental impacts) and challenges (including building code and standard compliance) and discusses potential home warranty solutions.
The bulk of the resource features BC and North American case studies that delve into project details such as construction timelines, project financing, and lessons learned.
This report was compiled and crafted by the research and writing team of Anastasia Koutalianos, Writer and Co-founder BC Tiny House Collective; Christina Radvak, Project Manager at Light House; Joanne Sawatzky, Director of Green Building Services at Light House; and Sarah Jones, Project Coordinator at Light House.
Discover the benefits and challenges of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in small to medium-sized communities in insights from BC Housing.
Key Insights:
Explore the advantages of both attached and detached ADUs, addressing housing shortages and enhancing community vibrancy. Uncover the challenges, including costs and applicability on small lots, that equip small communities with the knowledge to unlock ADU potential for sustainable and affordable housing solutions.
Overcoming Hurdles:
Navigate zoning restrictions and tackle issues like parking and infrastructure. The report provides strategies for effective regulatory and building barrier management.
Best Practices:
The guide concludes with actionable best practices, complemented by implementation options and local case studies, offering practical guidance for communities in areas including:
Expand Conditions: Permit ADUs by expanding conditions.
Relax Parking Standards: Achieve positive outcomes by relaxing parking standards.
Streamline Permitting: Optimize resources with streamlined permitting processes.
Waive or Discount Fees: Encourage development by waiving or discounting fees.
For more information on BC Housing, head to their homepage.
Research and writing team:
Ray Tomalty – Smart Cities Research Services
Dan Wilson – WCS Engagement+ Planning
Cheeying Ho – WCS Engagement+ Planning
Devarsh Bhonde – Research Support
Key topics explored:
Accessory Dwelling Units; ADU benefit & risks; Conditions supporting ADUs; Common Barriers; ADU Strategies and Practices
This report from Salt Spring Solutions aims to bring together a comprehensive set of solutions to the housing crisis on Salt Spring Island.
Key insights:
Salt Spring Island’s housing challenges are currently exasperated by several factors, including sprawl, demographic changes and strained infrastructure capacity.
As this report details, Salt Spring Island looks to address these by establishing a local housing framework that advances five strategies:
Strategy 1: Coordinated and Properly Resourced Local Approach to Housing
Strategy 2: Effective Public Education, Engagement, and Dialogue on Housing.
Strategy 3: Preservation of Rural Areas and Nature Space through Clustered Housing.
Strategy 4: Readying Ganges Village for More Housing
Strategy 5: Accessory Dwellings for Housing, in the Right Places
Amongst the key policy actions recommended include:
creating an entity to oversee and coordinate interagency tasks,
developing a public education and engagement policy,
updating policy and zoning regulations to incentivize compact,
This report from Casita Coalition delves into key strategies and insights from both developer and municipal planner perspectives in advancing equity strategies as ADUs gain popularity and ease of construction across California.
Exploring Promising Practices for Equality in Housing Development
In the effort to promote equality and increase accessibility to housing options, municipal workers and housing developers are turning to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a potential solution. This report from Casita Coalition delves into key strategies and insights from both developer and municipal planner perspectives to advance equity as ADUs gain popularity and ease of construction across California.
Overcoming Challenges & Equity Barriers to Ensure Equal Access to ADUs
Addressing equity barriers is crucial to fostering inclusivity in ADU development. This section examines the common hurdles, including a lack of reliable information, permitting challenges, upfront costs, and homeowner concerns about assuming the role of landlord.
Written for Casita Coalition by Lin Chin of Ground Works Consulting, with support from Jennifer Duffy of Hello Housing, Renee Schomp of Napa Sonoma ADU Center, and Miriam Zuk and Saneta deVuono-powell of Ground Works Consulting.
Publication date: November 2023
Over the past number of years, we have seen more and more cities across North America change their zoning bylaws to allow for more housing. In Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria, Minneapolis, and states like Oregon and California to name just a few, cities are legalizing “missing middle” housing like laneway houses, multiplexes, and row houses to add more density to single family neighbourhoods.
Yet simply legalizing this important kind of housing does not necessarily mean that it will be built.
With this in mind, Small Housing teamed up with Uytae Lee and the team at About Here to produce a video to help shed light on what is preventing more forms of gentle density housing from emerging, and what can be done to overcome these barriers and deliver the types of homes that people want, need, and deserve. Uytae delves into the obstacles hindering the development of Missing Middle housing, such as height and lot restrictions, additional rules for increased density, and financial viability challenges. His reporting also helps viewers gain insights into cities, including Auckland, where successful Missing Middle projects have been delivered.
Small Housing Co-Founder Jake Fry joined the Homebuilders Association Vancouver (HAVAN) and their excellent “Twice Measured Cut Once” podcast alongside The Honourable Housing Minister, Ravi Kahlon, and HAVAN CEO, Ron Rapp to discuss the impact of the Housing Supply Act, and what opportunities it presents for industry and small-scale developers, and crucially, what can be done to enhance its effectiveness.
You can watch the interview via the Youtube video above, or check out the podcast/audio version here, or wherever you get your podcasts from.
Jake Fry of Smallworks talks with Homebuilders Association of Vancouver (HAVAN) and their excellent Measure Twice, Cut Once show about the concept of attainable housing for the missing middle and building modern day communities. Land valuations, environmental impacts of today’s building materials and systems, and the importance of our end goals all add up to a riveting conversation with Jake recommending we keep an open mind to solutions and focus on sophisticated conversations, versus complicated ones.
You can watch the interview on the Youtube video above, or check out the audio version here, or wherever you get your podcasts from.
In this episode of ‘Ask The Experts’ from UrbanLogiq, Tamara White, the Associate Executive Director of Small Housing BC discusses the concept of gentle density homes, often spoken about in the context of “Missing Middle” housing types.
Published in 2023, the video explores:
What do we mean when we say gentle density
How it differs from traditional density
What are the benefits it can bring to our communities
How can data and technology help progress the scalability and affordability of such homes.
In July 2023, the Casita Coalition convened a dialogue featuring prominent figures in the field of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from various regions, including Portland, OR, Vancouver BC, California, Seattle WA, and Montana.
These leaders, pioneers, and innovators shared their insights on the strategies they employed to successfully implement significant ADU and middle housing reforms. In addition, perspectives from advocates in Texas and New York about their ongoing initiatives were shared. Small Housing was represented by Co-Founder Jake Fry, who presented
Key insights:
What are some of the key steps Government can take to support the delivery of ADUs?
Build a broad coalition across political and other divides.
Talk to other ADU/middle housing reform advocates from cities/states that have been successful to speed learning and avoid pitfalls.
Tailor the messaging based on local values–and always center the human stories.
Raise awareness and gather supporters by offering tours and showing photos of appealing ADUs, ‘plexes, cottage courts and the happy people who live in them.
Passing statewide laws is essential, but prepare for the next barriers after zoning restrictions are removed.
