Provincial housing legislation and the OCP

01 Apr 2025

Recently, the provincial government introduced a series of initiatives and legislation aimed primarily at increasing housing supply in communities throughout B.C.

Key pieces of legislation include:

2022 Housing Supply Act, Bill 43/2023 Port Moody Housing Target Order;
2023 Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, Bill 44; and
2023 Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, Bill 47.

The legislation requires municipalities to meet specific targets while working to address local housing needs. It also requires municipalities to update Official Community Plans to incorporate changes related to Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing and higher density development in Transit-Oriented Areas.

Port Moody 2050, our process to update the Official Community Plan (OCP), considers how to incorporate these changes into the OCP.

To learn more about these bills and other related provincial legislation, please visit Port Moody’s Provincial Housing Legislation webpage at portmoody.ca/provhousinglegislation(External link) or watch our video titled “Provincial Housing Legislation (TOA, SSMUH, and ACC).”(External link)

1. What are housing targets?

Some of the legislative changes passed by the B.C. government affect the City’s previously established land use policies by introducing new regulation that impacts our decisions about how much new housing is needed and where it will be located.

Under the 2022 Housing Supply Act, the Province has the authority to set housing targets in municipalities. In 2023, the B.C. government issued the following five-year Housing Target Order(External link) for the City of Port Moody:

Port Moody must complete a minimum of 1,694 new dwelling units between October 2023 and October 2028.

Housing targets are a way to track progress toward addressing the total unmet need for new dwelling units. But what is the total need? Port Moody’s Interim Housing Needs Report(External link) provides additional information about how much housing will be needed over the next five years and the next 20 years.

2. What is a Housing Needs Report?

The Province requires that municipalities review and update their Official Community Plans and Zoning Bylaws to ensure that statements, maps, and land use designations permit the number of housing units identified as needed in their unique Housing Needs Report (HNR).

Required by the Province, HNRs are intended to help communities understand their current and future housing needs. As of 2023, municipalities are required to complete a report every five years, which identifies the amount of housing needed over five- and 20-year timeframes. Interim reports were due January 1, 2025, and the first regular reports are due December 31, 2028.

Port Moody’s 2024 Interim Housing Needs Report(External link) identifies the City’s five-year need as 3,063 new dwelling units and its 20-year need as 9,796 new dwelling units.

In addition to accounting for anticipated population growth, HNRs identify additional community needs and gaps, and identify priority groups in need of housing such as households that pay more than 50 per cent of their income for housing and those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

3. Addressing housing needs

The B.C. government has directed municipalities to address housing supply and housing needs in part by permitting:

Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) on eligible single-residential and duplex lots; and
higher density development in Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs).

Bill 44 (Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing) and the OCP

Enacted by the Province, Bill 44 enables Small-Scale, Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) across much of the city by establishing unit maximums for single-residential and duplex lots. In Port Moody, this means that depending on eligibility, individual lots can have between three to six units in various configurations. Required updates to the City’s Zoning Bylaw to allow for SSMUH were completed on June 25, 2024.

Impact of SSMUH on Port Moody’s OCP update

As part of the 2025 OCP update, a new low density residential land use designation will be created to incorporate SSMUH and ensure consistency between the OCP and the Zoning Bylaw.
In 2024, the City of Port Moody introduced interim guidelines for SSMUH development. Currently, we’re developing more detailed design guidelines. These guidelines will provide more details about the City’s expectations and parameters for SSMUH developments in the community.
In general, OCP policies support SSMUH in many of the areas where this type of housing is permitted, though additional policy direction may be required to address area-specific considerations, such as heritage protection.

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Bill 47 (Transit-Oriented Areas) and the Official Community Plan

Enacted by the Province, Bill 47 requires municipalities to designate Transit-Oriented Areas (TOAs) near transit hubs to permit housing development that meets specific requirements for building heights and density. The Port Moody bylaw permitting TOAs (one around Moody Centre Station and one around Inlet Centre Station) was adopted on June 25, 2024.

Impact of TOA on Port Moody’s OCP update

The areas impacted by the Province’s TOA designations originate at the SkyTrain stations and extend outwards in concentric circles with prescribed heights and densities that do not give consideration to topography or other factors.
For much of Port Moody’s TOAs north of St. Johns Street, existing development and properties where development is permitted to proceed meet the intent of Bill 47. However, for the section south of St. Johns Street, the provincial legislation focuses significant growth (e.g. 8 and 12 storey development potential) in areas with lots that include steep slopes, constrained access or potential hazardous conditions.
To more effectively consider the development required by the Province in proximity to the transit hubs south of St. Johns Street, a special study area has been identified where further review is required to better understand the impacts and opportunities. See St. Johns Street Special Study Area to learn more.

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