British Columbia

Explore the City of Surrey’s innovative policy on Fee-Simple Rowhouses, a pivotal component of their gentle density strategy.

Key insights:

Fee-simple rowhouses stand apart from strata townhouses, offering full ownership of both building and land. This ownership model eliminates strata fees and rules, allowing property changes without strata approval, while individual owners manage their properties.

In 2012, Land Title Act amendments from the Province mandated Party Wall Agreements for fee-simple rowhouses, outlining responsibilities for shared components.

This Small Housing Case Study outlines how, despite initial concerns such as perceived drawbacks from this style of home including shared walls impacting noise and privacy, Surrey’s fee-simple rowhouses have thrived. They have provided an alternative in a transitioning market from detached homes to townhomes, and have been a central catalyst in inspiring similar projects in Surrey neighborhoods.

Key insights:

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) is one of 27 regional districts in BC and has been exploring means to further support gentle density infill forms through the reduction of as many barriers as possible to support the development of additional housing units.

The Regional Housing Needs Assessment for the North Okanagan identified that housing affordability and supply across the housing spectrum (non-market to market) is one of the most significant challenges for communities within the region and is predicted to worsen.

This Small Housing Case Study explores how the Regional Housing Strategy identified several actions to help lessen the costs and increase the supply of affordable housing units, including the concept of pre-approved plans for Secondary Dwellings.

Key insights:

The fast-growing District of Squamish (22% increase since 2016) has allowed duplexes in a large portion of the community for many years now. Starting in 2015, the District began to change single family zoning to allow for accessory dwelling units and secondary suites.

As this Small Housing Case Study details, recent years has seen the District of Squamish’s gentle density approaches has expanded into triplexes and cottage clusters, while past and current neighbourhood planning process are expanding missing middle housing options in established areas through infill. Looking forward, the District will consider additional opportunities for increased housing diversity and infill housing, potentially across broader areas through density bonus structures.

Key insights:

The City of Burnaby is steadily growing, with a population increase between 2016 and 2021 of 7%. The City allows for in-law suites and secondary suites in single family dwellings, secondary suites in duplexes, and laneway homes. Demand for secondary suites has been quite strong in Burnaby due to the strong family ties within resident families and other housing factors.

This demand resulted in up to 5,000 unauthorized secondary suites being created to 2014.

As this Small Housing Case Study details, a policy to support authorized secondary suites was adopted in 2014 in order to start keeping track of the units and ensure compliant construction for safety. Now there are close to 1,800 permitted suites and an estimated additional 4,000+ suites unpermitted as tracked by the declaration form.

More recently the City has introduced a program called Housing Choices, to explore and encourage housing options in the city to bridge the gap between single family homes and apartments/condos.

This Small Housing Guidance Paper examines the viability of redeveloping houses in single family neighbourhoods with more homes on the same property, presenting recommendations that will assist various actors involved in setting financial and cost recovery policies as it relates to new gentle density development.

Key policy considerations explored include:

Enabling Tenure Options (Rental & Ownership)

Allowing individual ownership, or strata-titling, for each home on a lot will encourage more new units to
be constructed versus requiring that a property have a single owner (i.e. the owner rents out the additional units, or all residents share a single mortgage).

Leveling the cost playing field and reducing risk

Constructing multi-unit buildings is more complex and costly than single family homes; by offering standardized designs and simplifying approval processes it is possible to reduce the uncertainty and costs involved.

Building in affordability

Given the small number of units involved in these projects, it is administratively simpler and more financially viable to take any affordability requirements or financial contribution (if required) and combine them for affordable housing on a larger site.

For the comprehensive suite of Small Housing Guidance Papers, check them out in the Toolbox Resource Library. Simply search for “Guidance Paper”.