New Housing Legislation

Provincial housing and financial regulations

In the fall of 2023, the B.C. Government passed several new pieces of legislation that apply across the province and will impact the City of Prince George’s land use planning framework. The new legislation is intended to fulfill the Homes for People plan priorities to close the gap between housing supply and demand in BC. The following provides an overview of the legislation, helpful resources, and the City's next steps.

For more information on the implementation of Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing in Prince George, please see the information guide here.

At their regular Council meeting held June 12, 2024, Council adopted “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9466, 2024” to fulfill the requirements of Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44). Bill 44 is intended to make it easier and quicker to build a wider variety of housing types in areas that were traditionally only single detached or duplex homes.
The City’s Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, as amended and replaced now reflects the prescribed Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) densities within the following zones, except where an exemption applies.
- RS1/RS1m: Suburban Residential
- RS2/RS2m: Single Residential
- RS3: Single Residential
- RS4: Urban Residential
- RT1: Two-Unit Residential
- RT2: Two-Unit Residential
- Z9: Hill Avenue
- Z14: Fraser River Bench Lands Compact Community
The minimum number of units is determined by the following characteristics of the parcels, except where an exemption applies:
- A minimum of three (3) dwelling units is permitted on each parcel of land 280 m² or less.
- A minimum of four (4) dwelling units is permitted on each parcel of land greater than 280 m².
Exemptions to SSMUH
Exemptions to the minimum dwelling unit requirements on lots zoned exclusively for single detached and two-unit housing include:
- parcels of land that are not wholly or partly identified within Schedule B-4: Urban Area established by Official Community Plan Bylaw No. 8383, 2011;
- lands that are not connected to a water or sewer system provided as a service the municipality;
- parcels of land that are larger than 4,050 m² (0.4 ha);
- parcels of land within the following zones:
  AG: Greenbelt;
  AF: Agriculture & Forestry;
  AR1: Rural Residential;
  AR2: Rural Residential;
  AR4: Rural Residential;
- land that was protected, as of December 7, 2023, under the Heritage Conservation Act, or by bylaw under s. 611 Heritage Designation Protection of the Local Government Act; or
- land within a designated transit-oriented area.
Examples of SSMUH
- Secondary suites in single detached dwellings or duplexes;
- Secondary dwellings (i.e., carriage or cottage housing);
- Duplexes (side-by-side, back-to-back, or up/down);
- Triplexes and house-plexes;
- Row homes; and
- Apartments (i.e., interior access to dwellings).
Report to Council
Provincial Resources
- Provincial Policy Manual & Site Standards
- News release: Regulations, policy manuals issued to help deliver more homes for people faster
Bill 46 offers tools to raise revenues to assist in paying for the infrastructure and amenities required to support our City’s growth. Tools for the City to use include:
Development Cost Charges
Bill 46 expands how Development Cost Charges (DCCs) can be collected for new development. In addition to collecting DCCs for water, sewer, drainage, and roads, the City can now collect DCCs for solid waste and recycling facilities, fire protection services and police facilities.
Amenity Cost Charges
Bill 46 also provides local governments with a new tool to collect Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs). ACCs can be used to pay for facilities or features that provide social, culture, heritage, recreational or environmental benefits to a community. Examples include community centres, recreational or athletic facilities, library, daycare facilities, and public squares.
Resources
- News release: Legislation introduced to streamline delivery of homes, services, infrastructure
Transit-oriented development is intended to encourage people to live, work, and play close to home and transit. Bill 47 requires local governments to designate prescribed transit stations as Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs). TOAs are to be identified within 800m of a rapid transit station (e.g., SkyTrain station) and 400m of a bus exchange. In TOAs, local governments are required to:
- Ensure that the densities and building heights established by the Province are allowed; and
- Remove residential parking minimums in these designated areas.
The UNBC Bus Exchange is the only TOA prescribed by the Province within the City of Prince George.
Resources

Interim Housing Needs Report: Understanding Prince George's Housing Future

The City's Interim Housing Needs Report (Interim HNR) provides an updated look at the community's housing requirements for the next 5 and 20 years. It builds on the previous Housing Needs Report (HNR) (2021, 2022) and aligns with provincial guidelines to identify housing needs in accordance with Section 790(3)(b) of the Local Government Act. Local governments are required to complete an Interim HNR by January 1, 2025, using Provincial Methodology, with a full HNR due by December 31, 2028. The City of Prince George's Interim Housing Needs Report (IHNR).

The Interim HNR includes:

Updated Housing Projections: Estimates of housing units needed over the next 5 years (2021–2026) and 20 years (2021–2041), created using Provincial Methodology.
A Statement of Need for housing in close proximity to transit: Assessment of housing needs near transportation infrastructure that supports walking, cycling, and transit.
Municipal Actions: Review of steps taken since the 2021 HNR to address housing challenges.

Using Provincial Methodology, the report identifies the need for 5,218 housing units by 2026 and 12,503 units by 2041. These figures account for extreme core housing need (affordability), homelessness, suppressed household formation, anticipated growth, rental market stabilization, and additional local demand (components A through F). Please be noted that total projected need figures do not reflect or subtract total completed unit numbers from 2021-present.

Component	5 Year Need (2021 - 2026)	20 Year Need (2021 - 2041)
A. Extreme Core Housing Need	306	1224
B. Persons Experiencing Homelessness	498	995
C. Suppressed Household Formation	175	699
D. Anticipated Growth	3652	7234
E. Rental Vacancy Rate Adjustment	21	85
F. Additional Local Demand	566	2265
Total New Units – 5 years	5218	nan
Total New Units – 20 years	nan	12503

The Interim HNR highlights the City's progress, including zoning updates, partnerships with senior governments, and streamlined permitting processes to expedite the pace and volume of housing development. It aims to guide strategic housing decisions and align with provincial goals for sustainable, inclusive, and affordable communities.

Next steps

To comply with recent housing initiatives and legislation, the City is working to:

Amend the Zoning Bylaw for all single detached and duplex zones within the City’s urban boundary to comply with the new legislation by June 30, 2024.
- At their regular Council meeting held June 12, 2024, Council adopted “City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, Amendment Bylaw No. 9466, 2024” to fulfill the requirements of Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44). For more information, please see the section above title Bill 44: Residential Development.
Complete interim Housing Needs Report by December 31, 2024.
- At their regulation Council meeting held Dec 2nd, 2024, Council received for information the "City of Prince George Interim Housing Needs Report" to fulfill the requirements of Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44).
Update the Official Community Plan (OCP) including housing needs and Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs) to comply with provincial requirements by December 31, 2025.
Amend Development Cost Charges (DCC) bylaw and submit for Ministry of Municipal Affairs approval. Timing TBD.

The City is continuing to review the new legislation and will update this page as new information is available. To learn more, visit the provincial website for local government housing initiatives.

Questions?

If you have questions please contact Development Services.

Email: devserv@princegeorge.ca