Infill Housing Phase One: Review
Consultation has concluded

Project Update: October 17, 2022
What We Heard: Community Engagement staff have been working to analyze the results received from both the community and program-specific Infill Housing surveys, which were open this spring. In addition to reviewing what we heard from the engagement, staff analyzed data gathered on all of the laneway house and infill townhouse applications received since 2017. The results from this community and stakeholder engagement process are outlined in the following documents:
• Laneway House and Carriage House What We Heard Summary
• Townhouse and Rowhouse What We Heard Summary
A summary of the key findings can also be found in the Project Updates tab below.
Next Steps
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us! Your feedback and perspectives have helped to inform revisions to the Phase One Infill Housing Program. Staff will bring recommended updates to Council for consideration of adoption in early 2023.
The City of New Westminster is reviewing the successes and challenges of the Phase One Infill Housing Program. Launched through adoption of the Official Community Plan in 2017 after considerable community engagement, the goal of the program is to provide more housing choice for New Westminster in the form of laneway and carriage houses, and infill townhouses and rowhouses. These types of housing are important to us! Laneway houses provide much needed rental housing and aging in place opportunities in our city, while infill townhouses are often more achievable to own than single detached houses.
With your help, alongside our technical review process, we will make recommendations to Council to refine the program and encourage more of these housing options by reducing the cost of these projects, speeding up the approvals process, and encouraging more energy efficient buildings.
Community Engagement
Thank you for taking the time to participate in our community survey! The infill housing program review will be informed by the perspectives of City of New West community members and those who have participated in a laneway house or infill townhouse project. Your feedback will be included in a report to Council towards the end of the year.
What are laneway and carriage houses?

Laneway and carriage houses are small, detached, ground-oriented dwellings located in back yards. Laneway houses are located on properties that are accessible from a lane. Carriage houses are located on properties without lanes. Laneway and carriage houses can be used for family or as rental units.
Laneway and carriage houses are permitted on most single detached properties in New Westminster, outside of Queensborough. Laneway houses are not permitted on any Queensborough properties due to the neighbourhood’s unique circumstances (e.g., the floodplain). A separate process is needed to determine the potential for laneway houses in Queensborough.
Interested in building a laneway or carriage house? Click here to learn more.
What are infill townhouses and rowhouses?

Townhouses and rowhouses are attached, ground-oriented units. The units are side-by-side, not stacked.
Townhouses are strata title developments, which means that owners own their individual unit (or “strata lot”) and together own the common property and common assets as a strata corporation. Parking for townhouses is typically located at the rear of the property.
Rowhouses, like most single-detached properties, are fee-simple developments, which means that one property owner owns the land and the buildings or structures on the land. Parking for rowhouses is accommodated on individual lots.
Infill townhouse and rowhouse projects provide smaller and fewer units than standard townhouse projects, which helps them fit better in established neighbourhoods. The Official Community Plan permits these projects in areas outside of Queensborough. In that neighbourhood, larger, standard sized townhouses are permitted in select areas.
Interested in building infill townhouses or rowhouses?
- Click here to view the Infill Townhouse and Rowhouse Development Permit Guidelines.
- Click here to view the Infill Townhouse and Rowhouse Residential Zoning District (RT).
- Click here to learn more about building townhouses and rowhouses.
- Click here to learn more about development in New Westminster.