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Home   ›   Building and Development   ›   Provincial Housing Changes   ›   Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing

Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing

Bill 44, Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 (Bill 44) received royal assent on November 29, 2023. The stated purpose of the legislation is to facilitate an increase in housing supply in communities throughout BC which can include Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing.

Among other requirements related to housing, Bill 44 specifies that local governments must amend residential zoning designations to permit four dwelling units per parcel for land within the Urban Containment Boundary (some exceptions apply) by June 30, 2024.

Town of Qualicum Beach Zoning Updates

At the June 26, 2024 Regular Council Meeting, an updated Zoning Bylaw No. 900 was adopted to address the requirements of Bill 44. The Town has taken a proactive approach to address the requirements of Bill 44, so that the increased residential development potential required by Bill 44 can be achieved without compromising environmental protection or quality of life for existing residents in Qualicum Beach.

The short-term impacts are anticipated to will be relatively minor and include benefits:

  • The density prescribed by the Province (four units per parcel) is compatible with many of the housing typologies preferred by Town residents.
  • Qualicum Beach residents stated a preference for alternative forms of small-scale residential infill in the 2018 Quality of Life Survey, most of which were not permitted on most residential properties prior to the adoption of Zoning Bylaw No. 900.

Highlights

Zoning Bylaw No. 900 replaces Zoning Bylaw No. 580 and meet the requirements of Bill 44, including improvements for overall clarity and consistency. A summary of specific changes is listed below:

  • Updated the Residential 1 (R1) zone to be the default residential zone outside of the Village Neighbourhood as identified in the OCP.
  • Updated the Residential 2 (R2) to be the default residential zone inside the Village Neighbourhood.
  • Deleted unused residential zones.
  • Updated “Definitions” section.
  • Moved regulations into the “Regulations” section of the Bylaw.
  • Deleted antiquated definitions and updating other definitions to align with modern zoning practice.

Zoning Bylaw No. 900 was modernized by moving some content into other bylaws for clarity and ease of future updates, such as regulations and procedures for the Board of Variance and Advisory Planning Commission.

Interim Residential Design Guidelines have been incorporated into Zoning Bylaw No. 900 to address potential concerns about neighbourhood character and compatibility. These Guidelines will be reviewed in 2025 during the Official Community Plan (OCP) Review.

Next Steps

Public Engagement

The Town will engage the public in the OCP Review, including reviewing the Interim Design Guidelines. This engagement is not affected by Bill 44, and there will be public hearings for all future OCP amendments. The Town is committed to involving residents in the policy development process during OCP reviews. The OCP amendment must be completed by December 31, 2025.