Our City, Our Homes

Update: June 9, 2025: Changes to the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw will be presented to Council at an upcoming meeting. The changes are based on legislated requirements from the Provincial Government, staff analysis, and the input received from our community.

Keep reading for a summary of proposed changes that will be presented to Council.

Please note, the Council workshop presentation previously scheduled for June 9 has been postponed.

What's Happening?

When it comes to housing, there’s a lot on the go!

Governments of all levels across Canada are working to tackle the housing crisis. Here in New Westminster, the City is continuing to advance Council’s Strategic Priorities Plan to clear the way for all types of new homes needed today and in the future. Together, we are working hard towards more and better housing for all.

There are several bylaws and policy tools the City uses to enable housing development. Currently, the City is making updates to our Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw. These are the primary regulations for what type of housing (e.g. apartment, townhouse, or duplex) is allowed where, and how big or tall it is allowed to be. The coming changes will impact many properties in the city through one of the following initiatives:

	Transit Oriented Development Areas: The Province has identified five transit-oriented development areas in New Westminster at 22nd Street, New Westminster, Columbia, Sapperton, and Braid SkyTrain stations. These areas are now required to be designated for greater density.
	Townhouses: Today, townhouses are allowed in the city in limited locations and when approved by City Council through a rezoning application. In an effort to see more townhouses built, we’re exploring more locations and reducing development approvals processes.
	Infill housing: This initiative explores allowing multiplexes of up to six units to be built on properties in the city that currently allow houses, suites, and laneway houses.
	Non-profit affordable housing: The goal of this program is to reduce barriers to non-profit housing providers to build affordable rental housing by streamlining development approvals processes.

Several of the initiatives above are part of the City’s participation in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund. The Province of British Columbia has also made significant changes to housing legislation, impacting how local governments operate when it comes to reviewing development applications. The City is required to meet timelines related to both. Learn more about how senior government is shaping housing in our city by clicking through the links.

Right now, the City is not making changes to housing regulations in Queensborough because more research is needed on infrastructure like water and sewer systems to see if the area can support more housing. The Province has given the City an extension until May 2029 to complete this research before making any decisions. The City will consult with residents before any changes in Queensborough are finalized.

How We Engaged

A variety of methods were used to build understanding and awareness of the Our City, Our Homes initiatives, and provide opportunities for the public to ask questions or share feedback. Engagement activities were open from February 22 – March 9, 2025 and included:

🎪 In-Person Events (Completed)

The City hosted three drop-in events that allowed the public to stop by to talk with staff. All events presented similar information and resources, and asked participants questions to gather their input on specific topics. Drop-ins were held March 1, March 5, and March 8, 2025 with over 259 open house attendees.

💻 Virtual Session (Completed)

On March 6, City staff presented information and asked questions for input in an online format. The event started with a quick introductory presentation and allowed participants to jump on at any time to learn about the four housing initiatives as well as provide their feedback. There were 26 virtual attendees.

📋 Survey (Closed)

From February 22 through March 9, participants provided input through a series of online questions about housing types, locations, and regulations. The survey provided the core information needed to answer the questions, which were the same as those asked at the events listed above. There were 245 survey responses received.

What We Heard

During the engagement activities, participants were asked a range of questions from general hopes and concerns about the future of housing to more specific questions about each housing initiative. Scroll down or click here for a summary of what we heard from you! Or click here for a two-page “snapshot”. To see the full Engagement Summary Report, which includes demographics and a breakdown of each question asked, click here. These reports as well as the verbatim responses from community members, will be shared with Council as part of their decision-making.

Top 3 Hopes for the Future of Housing in the City

• More variety of housing types (e.g. apartments, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, multi-plexes, secondary suites, laneways, etc.)
• More affordable housing
• More family-friendly housing (e.g. sufficient size for multiple bedrooms, storage etc.)

Top 3 Concerns for the Future of Housing in the City

• Not enough community amenities to support more people (e.g. schools, parks, community centres)
• Not enough infrastructure to support more people (e.g. roads, sewers, etc.)
• Won’t be able to stay in New Westminster because of the cost of housing

In addition to the above, participants were asked a range of specific questions about emerging directions for the four housing initiatives (described above under “What’s Happening?”). You can learn more about each initiative with the Links to Learn More on this page. The questions asked about each initiative are available in the Open House Information Boards and are listed in the Engagement Summary Report. Overall, most participants supported the City’s emerging directions.

What's Next?

The proposed housing policy changes outlined above will be presented to City Council at a workshop on June 2, 2025! Click here to access the online agenda, staff report, and livestream of the workshop. Following the direction given by Council at their workshop, City staff will prepare the bylaws which will enable the changes. Council must give the bylaws four readings and hold a Public Hearing before the bylaws are in effect. See the Project Timeline on this page for more on next steps.