Infrastructure & Servicing

This Small Housing Guidance Paper presents recommendations that will assist various actors involved in planning for and financing growth related infrastructure, especially as it relates to new gentle density development.

With Provincial policy set to increase development potential as-of-right in many residential areas, Small Housing – with support from consulting firms Urban Systems and ECONorthwest – convened a roundtable discussion to explore the relationship between gentle density housing types and local infrastructure.

This Guidance Paper presents recommendations that will assist various actors involved in planning for and financing growth related infrastructure, especially as it relates to new gentle density development. It provides background information and identifies challenges and recommendations in seven key areas:

1. Development finance tools
2. Local government capacity and understanding
3. Other order of government funding
4. Water and fire protection
5. Sewer system capacity
6. Stormwater management, and
7. Electrification

Key insights:

• The Province may consider a phased implementation of the Homes for People legislation. The first phase may be applied to areas of the community that have known infrastructure sufficiency, access to transit, and are not located in sensitive or hillside areas, until infrastructure impacts are better understood and regulations can be put in place.
• Local governments have expressed a desire to “speak a common language” when it comes to implementing the new legislation. It is recommended that the Province provide guidance for infrastructure and development planning with consistent definitions for communities throughout; including land use definitions, development standards, road standards, etc.
• Throughout the roundtable discussion, it became clear that additional planning and consultation needs to occur between government and other sectors who will be involved in implementing Homes for People.

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 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 report from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, part of UC Berkeley, highlights barriers faced by developers working in states that have enabled multiple units to be built on traditionally single-family zoned lots.

Key insights:

The report details that Middle Housing delivers many benefits to communities:

• Increases racial equity in housing and neighbourhood access
• Providesentry-level homeownership opportunities
• Creates lower greenhouse gas emissions per household).

The following developer challenges are highlighted:

• Design requirements need to be flexible/supportive of missing middle housing;
• Larger projects of 8-12 units need to be permitted to make projects financially viable; that complicated utility and subdivision rules deter small-scale development;
• Approval timelines need to be more efficient; and that there is currently a lack of traditional financing tools to create a funding package for projects.

Key recommendations:

• Introducing development code changes beyond zoning reforms, including updating design requirements and assessing current impact fees and utility requirements
• Allocate dedicated resources to streamline permitting and approval processes
• Considering more ambitious land use changes, such as increasing the maximum units that can be developed per lot, to help foster increased missing middle housing development.

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

Date published: 2021