Pemberton Housing Action Project

Pemberton residents have told us that housing choices and affordability continue to be one of the top three challenges in our community. Our recent housing needs study underscores these challenges, revealing a need for approximately 850 units over the next five years to meet both current and future demands. Further, the provincial government is requiring all communities with populations of more than 5000 to allow up to four units in all single-family lots; Pemberton will reach this threshold within five years at its current rate of growth.

The Village of Pemberton has received federal and provincial funding to tackle our housing challenges through six (6) interconnected and concurrent housing initiatives, details are below. For more information on the provincial legislative changes and the Housing Accelerator Fund, please click on the Project Background.

The initiatives are estimated to permit nearly 100 new housing units above the average rate of development over the next three years.

Project Details

The Pemberton Housing Action Project combines CMHC Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) initiatives and objectives that will prepare the Village to meet its provincial legislative requirements as the Village approaches the 5,000-person population threshold. Initiatives have been arranged into five (5) current projects that are due to be completed in 2024 and one (1) additional project that will follow into 2025.

1. A new Housing Strategy will identify gaps in housing supply and best approaches to meet the priority housing needs of the community. The strategy will contain Core Principles that will guide which housing needs and types are prioritized, with directions and actions that are intended to meet the housing needs in the short and long term.
   
2. Pre-zoning initiatives are meant to proactively enact zoning and reduce barriers for more housing development, with the intent to reduce time required for development approvals. In this project, zoning changes are proposed to:
   1. Add Gentle Density to single-family neighbourhoods that will allow up to four (4) dwelling units on most lots and to allow garden suites, carriage houses, and more secondary suites as accessory dwelling units.
   2. Allow for Increased Density on selected lots in and near downtown, with provisions for strata and rental developments, and those intended for persons with special needs including seniors.
   3. Allow for reduction in Off-Street Parking to reduce costs of development and when developments are located close to daily amenities and have the possibility of alternate transportation options.
3. Housing incentives are being developed in two categories to encourage more housing development beyond the permissions to be allowed in zoning.
   1. Gentle Density incentives are intended to encourage property owners to add new “missing middle” housing or accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to their lots. These incentives may include capacity building to make it easier for property owners to know what they need to build an ADU, a simplified approvals process, and pre-reviewed designs that will lead to quicker approvals.
   2. A program of Purpose-Built Rental incentives was approved on July 23, 2024, that will be implemented in the coming months. Incentives included pre-zoning to prioritize rental development, accelerated application approvals, and financial incentives. Please click on the link for more details on approved 2024 Purpose-Built Rental Incentive Program.
4. Infrastructure Planning will facilitate the proactive planning of municipal infrastructure services, and the future upgrades required to support continued new housing growth and further acceleration of housing supply delivery. Infrastructure planning is a critical element of growth management. This initiative will consist of completing Village-wide water, sanitary, and storm infrastructure studies and modelling, targeted projects to assess new water sources, a condition assessment of the existing wastewater treatment plant, and an overall greater understanding of the capacity of each system as they relate to increased housing supply.
5. Implementing an expanded E-Permitting System for development applications will streamline the application process with a system to track an application, ensure all supporting documents are submitted and complete, is accessible for both the applicants and staff, and will ultimately lead to a faster approvals process.
6. Beginning later in 2024 and extending into 2025, the initiative to encourage New and Innovative Housing Types is meant to follow the new Housing Strategy and to focus on housing types that are not otherwise addressed through zoning or the proposed incentives. This may include drafting new policies for affordable or specialty housing, and guidelines for Council consideration when entering into housing agreements with future developers. The Village will also explore how to permit new housing types like tiny homes (which are not currently recognized in the BC Building Code) that may require specific policies and guidelines.

Questions

If you have any questions about the Housing Action Project so far, please use the Question tool below and Village staff will get back to you as soon as possible.