In 2023 the Province of British Columbia passed several pieces of legislation with the goal of building more housing units in the province. This legislation included the Small-Scale Multi-Unit (or Multi-Family) Housing program (SSMUH).
The legislation requires B.C. municipalities over 5,000 people to accommodate an increased number of residential units on properties which had been zoned for low-density residential uses. This includes either single family or duplex properties, and those already zoned for secondary suites and detached accessory dwelling units.
The new requirements:
- Properties less than 280 square metres in size must now accommodate up to three residential units.
- Properties more than 280 square metres in size must now accommodate up to four residential units.
- Properties more than 280 square metres in size that are within 400 metres of a bus stop served by frequent transit service must now accommodate up to six residential units.
There are some exemptions from these SSMUH requirements, including if the lands is known to be subject to a hazardous condition such as risk from wildfire, landslide, tsunami, flooding, etc.
The province required that all municipalities update their Zoning Bylaws to accommodate these changes no later than June 30, 2024. As these are changes to zoning, no public hearings are permitted in making these changes. There is no option for public input when a property owner wishes to build a SSMUH project.
The province has a fairly detailed, information-dense summary of all the requirements here: Small-scale, multi-unit housing - Province of British Columbia.
Within this summary is the Provincial Policy Manual, which provides guidance for municipalities when drafting SSMUH zones. It includes recommended site standards for setbacks, building heights, lot coverage, and other details which had been left up to municipalities to consider and implement within these new SSMUH zones.
The province made these site standard recommendations to make it easy for property owners to build from the Standardized Housing Designs Catalogue released in September 2024. The province hopes that having designs and drawings available will streamline the design, approvals, and construction of SSMUH housing.
What did this mean for Esquimalt?
The Township adopted SSMUH-specific regulations in the spring of 2024 to meet the provincial requirements.
The Township does not have any provincially-recognized transit stops, so there are no zones drafted to address SSMUH projects of six residential units. The Township does have areas which are at high risk of tsunami-related flooding (see: Tsunami Hazard Zone Map) and as such properties fully or partially within any of those areas were exempted from SSMUH zoning.
The Township elected to create a Zoning Overlay Map to identify SSMUH-eligible properties within Esquimalt. The SSMUH zones are as follows:
- For properties under 280 square metres: Small-Scale Multi-Family Housing Zone (Small Lot) [RSM-1]
- For properties between 280 and 4,050 square metres: Small-Scale Multi-Family Housing Zone (Medium Lot) [RSM-2]
Property owners must build at least three units on a property to be eligible for the RSM-1 or RSM-2 zoning. If less units are constructed, the underlying low-density zoning applies.
The Township requires a Development Permit addressing Development Permit Areas (DPA) 1, 3, 7 and 8 to address Natural Environment, Form and Character, Energy Conservation and Greenhouse Gas Reduction, and Water Conservation. The Development Permits for SSMUH are approved by staff rather than Council.
The Township is updating its Development Permit Guidelines as part of an Official Community Plan update to be completed by the end of 2025. This update will contain SSMUH-specific design guidelines.