

Adding housing choice in neighbourhoods across Vancouver
Shifting towards the right supply of housing to meet the needs of people who live and work in Vancouver is a key objective of the Housing Vancouver Strategy.
Part of delivering the right supply is to provide more housing that falls between single-family homes and higher density apartments, often referred to as “missing middle” housing.
Adding housing choice across the city in our lower-density neighbourhoods is part of the effort to create more complete neighbourhoods; a goal emerging from work on the Vancouver Plan.
What's happeningAdding missing middle housing and simplifying regulations in low-density neighbourhoods
We're exploring opportunities to add more missing middle housing, specifically multiplexes with up to six units per lot, in low-density neighbourhoods across the city. This work also involves looking at changes to simplify rules for existing housing options including houses, duplexes, and laneway houses.
Key objectives include:
- Providing more housing choices in low-density neighbourhoods
- Allowing more design flexibility for new buildings
- Simplifying rules to create a more efficient permitting system
Review previous Council memos and presentations:
- Council memo - April 5, 2022 PDF file (985 KB)
- Council memo - June 28, 2022 PDF file (628 KB)
- Council presentation - January 18, 2023
Important note No policy or zoning changes have been approved yet, and applications to build new multiplexes in low-density areas cannot be accepted at this time. The earliest a council decision on changes following a public hearing is expected is fall 2023.
What can be built in most single-family (RS) zones today
In most lower density areas, the following housing options currently exist.
*Floor space ratio (FSR) is a measurement of the floor area of a building relative to the area of the site it is built on. FSR is used to describe the size of a building.
- Review existing housing options in low-density neighbourhoods PDF file (785 KB)
- Review the regulations in the zoning and land use document library
For permit enquiries, contact the Development and Building Services Centre online.
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Other work underway
Other work related to creating more housing choice includes exploring low-carbon housing options as part of the Climate Emergency Response PDF file (609 KB)