Missing Middle Housing in Squamish

Small-scale housing options can help address the housing crisis in Squamish

The current housing affordability crisis is an issue that affects a diverse range of residents in Squamish from those most vulnerable through to stable-income families. As Squamish continues to experience a high rate of growth, the pressure on our housing supply increases. 

According to the 2023 Housing Needs Report, Squamish needs to increase its housing supply by 6,800 units by 2031 in order to sustain the community’s current rate of growth. To help meet this demand, areas within Squamish which were traditionally limited to Single Unit Dwellings (SUDs) have been rezoned to increase the allowed maximum number of dwelling units. This change supports the development of a diverse range of housing including small-scale, multi-unit housing options to help fill the gaps in missing middle housing in Squamish which include: 

  • Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and secondary suites 
  • Duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes 
  • Townhomes 

The initiatives to end exclusionary zones in the District's Zoning Bylaw were initiated by new provincial legislation in response to the provincial-wide housing crisis.   

Filling the gap

For the last few decades, zoning in residential areas traditionally favoured large-scale SUD developments, designed for single-generation families with no affordability challenges. Over the years, factors such as population, the economy, and supply and demand throughout lower mainland B.C. has caused many residents to become priced out of single-family homes. This prompts a high need for housing alternatives available in a range of affordability options that have historically had limited development opportunities.

The new R-1 zone has opened up opportunities for residents and developers to build more affordable, small-scale housing units in most areas of Squamish. This means on lots that would only allow one home (plus accessory dwelling units), now may house up to four strata titled homes.

The District's role

The District of Squamish is responsible for regulating the use of land within its borders and can help tackle the housing supply issues through bylaws, policy, and incentives. The task of building homes however is undertaken by residents, investors, and developers (unless the District is able to secure funding for affordable housing projects in partnership with local non-profits such as Squamish Housing). The District has no influence over prices or demand for homes within the private market. Introducing the R-1 zone is one example of how a local government can help with the housing supply.

Learn more about the District's housing initiatives here. 

How new Provincial legislation (Bill 44) affects Squamish

In late 2023, the Provincial Government passed Bill 44 as part of the Homes for People program to help municipalities build more homes faster. These changes were implemented to increase density throughout neighbourhoods in B.C. which allows greater opportunities for residents to develop their properties and build types of homes that work for people and families looking to rent or enter the housing market. Bill 44 required the District to amend its Zoning Bylaws before June 2024 in order to increase the minimum density standards by allowing more small-scale, multi-unit housing options in land use zones that were otherwise restricted to single-family dwellings or duplexes.

How this affects Squamish:

  • Properties that were previously zoned RS-1, RS-1A, RS-2, RS-2A, RS-3, and RMH-2 have been rezoned to either R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-5.  
  • Parking restrictions reduced to allow for more small-scale housing options.
  • Legislation now prohibits public hearings for rezoning applications which are more than 50% residential and consistent with the Official Community Plan. 

Properties within the new R-1 zone*:

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*Updates to the new R-1 which will include properties in flood hazard areas will be considered for adoption in December 2024. 

Small-scale Multi-unit Housing Overview

Small-scale multi-unit housing describes a range of buildings and housing units that can provide attainable housing for middle-income families, are ground-oriented, and compatible in scale and form within established single-family neighbourhoods. 

Accessory Dwelling Units

An ADU is a dwelling unit that is ancillary to, and detached from,  the principal dwelling unit and is located either above an accessory building or at grade. Includes, but is not limited to, coach houses, carriage houses, and laneway houses.

Triplex

A triplex is any physical arrangement of three attached dwelling units, excluding secondary suites, intended to be occupied by separate households with separate exterior access to grade.

Fourplex

A fourplex means any physical arrangement of four attached dwelling units intended to be occupied by separate households with separate exterior access to grade.

Key overview of building a multiple dwelling unit in the R-1 zone

  • Multiple Dwelling Residential means a physical arrangement of three or more attached principal dwelling units (such as triplexes, fourplexes, row houses etc.). These dwelling types are informally referred to as Multiplexes.
  • Multiple Dwelling Residential buildings have a maximum height of 11m or three storeys, whichever is less.
  • The lot coverage for a multiple dwelling residential use shall not exceed 50% of the lot area.
  • There is no Maximum Floor Area Ratio for Multiple Dwelling Residential with either 3 or 4 units.
  • Each individual dwelling unit in a multiple dwelling residential unit shall not exceed 220m2 in gross floor area.
  • Multiple Dwelling Residential must have at least one parking space per principal dwelling unit.

Missing Middle Housing Mythbusters FAQ

The District of Squamish has developed the Official Community Plan and a series of master plans to guide appropriate population growth.

One of our primary concerns is to manage the costs associated with maintaining and building infrastructure. Increased infill housing spreads the costs of infrastructure across more residents, thereby reducing the cost-per-person; which, in turn, allows property taxes to remain as low as possible.

In addition, District policy is to ensure that growth pays for growth. This means that developers rezone land parcels, they are responsible for installing infrastructure to accommodate the development, and contributing community amenities. Doing this ensures that the cost of growth is not being passed down to taxpayers.

A common misconception is that the infill development boom in Squamish is encroaching upon our greenspaces and recreational zones. However, the reality is that building is taking place on private land that was already zoned for development.

We can’t stop the growth, but we can ensure that it takes place within our existing footprint. In fact, there is enough land within our growth management boundary to support a population growth of 34,000 (The Statistics Canada growth estimate for 2020 was 23,335).

Building more multi-family residences (such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and apartments) in our neighbourhoods means that we can make the most of the planned developments and accommodate population growth within our existing footprint, rather than sprawling outward and developing on the natural assets that surround Squamish.

While Squamish has traditionally been a car-centric community, this is not sustainable for the planet. Transportation in cars and trucks accounts for 52% of our community’s greenhouse gas emissions. We need to come together as a community to reduce our impact on climate change and change our behaviours.

The way our neighbourhoods are built affects our transportation behaviours—and our vision for the broader community is to shift beyond the car by creating neighbourhood nodes with parks, childcare, and daily amenities within a short walking distance.

Our Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) outlines a strategy to provide more active and public transportation options for Squamish residents so they can reduce dependency on their vehicles. Neighbourhood infill allows us to fund infrastructure like bike and walking paths and reliable public transit. This is echoed in the CCAP.

The “missing middle” refers to the mid-range housing options like row houses, townhomes, co-housing, or walk-up apartment buildings. There will always be a place for single-family homes in Squamish. However, with the projected growth in our community, neighbourhood infill housing is the best way to create a resilient and liveable community, accommodate resident housing needs, and retain key recreation and environmental areas.

 In Squamish, single-family homes account for 44% of our housing inventory—much higher than in Whistler (13%) and Pemberton (30%). We can’t keep building single-family homes in hopes that the housing prices will go down.

 Managing housing growth in Squamish is a balancing act. We want to avoid sprawling into greenspace and recreational areas and keep costs as low as possible while infrastructure needs increase. We also need to provide affordable housing for a diverse range of incomes.

The best way to address all of the needs is to diversify our housing supply by integrating more housing forms within our existing neighbourhoods.

December 24, 2024 at 8:36 PM

Rainfall Warning Issued for Howe Sound, Squamish

Issued at 2024-12-24 18:49 UTC by Environment Canada:

Rainfall warning issued for:
   Howe Sound, B. C.

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December 20, 2024 at 11:29 PM

Winners selected for the District’s Multiplex Design Competition

The District of Squamish is pleased to announce the winners of its Multiplex Design Competition.

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